Captain Mashiga: The First Superhuman
by Formyeyesonly
Summary: It's great to be a genius in the theoretical applications of military knowledge but the moment he has to take matters into his own hands, he's the one who needs saving...that is until he gets the chance to become more. Will there be consequences for his actions or will the ends justify the means? AU. M for coarse language & mature themes.
1. Memoirs in Darkness

A.N: I knew I would do something for this series. Uggh! Oh well, so I saw a picture of a parody of this series that involved the characters in Avengers like outfits with Armin being Captain America.

I realized how similar (Armin & Pre-Cap Rogers) actually were.

I don't plan on this being a long term story (Maybe 5-8 chapters) unlike another story but let's see where this goes.

That said, on with the show!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!

Captain Mashiga: The First Superhuman

Chapter 1: Memoirs in Darkness

-Present Time-

Uggghh, my ...head is...

I try to rip my hands apart from whatever was holding me, but something was confining me; something strong. Stronger than I can break...

...unless...

All I see is darkness from a small black rag, whether the whole room is dark or the rag is long, I can't tell. All I can tell is a small scent of lemon pine with a hint of white wine. I must be in a cellar somewhere.

Doesn't narrow anything down though. There are hundreds of cellars in Wall Sina, about eighty in Wall Rose, & ten known ones in Wall Maria after it was re-taken from the Titans.

I try to guide my body left & right on the wooden chair to try and fall down, take the rag off my head and...

*Thunk*

...bolted to the floor. Whoever took me prepared for this and I think I already know who.

Whoever it was laughs an awkward laugh gently within the darkness, expecting their new prey to heel towards them, and beg for mercy. I know your background, & you really don't scare me so why don't you come out an-

*Thwack*

That feeling...the dripping from my mouth...bruises being made...the clacking of my teeth...and he keeps going in a frenzy of sadistic delight. He keeps me guessing whether it's a punch or a kick or he's holding the butt of a rifle, they all feel the same to me at this point.

Each hit I deserve for falling for such a stupid trap. Not even Annie fell for ours three years ago; Mine, Eren's, & Mikasa's.

The only mercy I'll find right now won't come from the the chilling cry of my best friend or the silent speed of my other one; his wife.

I can't expect any of the Survey Corps; I choose not to from Shadis.

All I'm going to have is my memories from a time where I envied those two, for having a life like I have right now.

-Flashback: 4 Monthes Ago-

I hate my body. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!

Every time I looked myself in the mirror when I woke up in the morning, all I'd see was inadequacy. True, my physique is better than most people within the walls. Compared to guys like Jean or Eren, I was lackluster at best.

It didn't help that most guys would come to the Mess hall for breakfast and eat in their pajamas, usually a pair of pants and...that's it.

I always dreaded the training exercises too. How did Keith describe me? Right, a daffodill with a brain. I could barely keep up with half of my own unit in the 3DMG exercises, I was always thrown around in the hand-to-hand, and sword practices were a massacre at best.

The worst part about it was I could clearly see where I could get the upper hand. I sparred with Connie a week ago, which I was surprised about. He and Sasha would joke around and pretend to fight instead while I watched Mikasa & Eren go at it. This day was different, it was her and Jean, & Connie was angry.

Every hook he landed on me, all I had to do was a side step. He would put his knee off, I could pull him off guard. He jumped and charged, a duck with an elbow was all that was needed.

Made perfect sense to perform every single tactic if my body could react to it. Levi & Erwin would berate me about how I could do better, one being more constructive than the other, make your guess. On the other hand, you had some of the veterens or Jean making the sny comment until Eren or Mikasa backed me up and defended me, like they always do.

I sighed, ''at least I had my brain.'' Sure, I saved people with my strategies but when it comes down to a life or death situation, I'm going belly up. I wouldn't mind being able to take up my fists or a sword and killing a Titan or saving a life knowing I did it.

Hell, Jean did it a few days ago! He captured Reiner with Sasha! Which reminds me, I should visit Connie at the hospice. I checked the time on the clock above the door of my room.

''3:00 pm. Not for another few hours.'' Connie won't be stable until 5. I decided to check my bookshelf and slip through some of the books to kill some time. Most of them I've already read, especially the scientific ones and this new science called psychology. I thumbed through a few until I reached one I haven't read.

''Camelot.'' It was a dusty book with a large shield in the front. It must have been a book dated before the Titans came. I often wondered if some of these books were fantasy or if there really were characters like...King Arthur and...Merlin.

I haven't read it yet. I don't have to, to know what Excalibur was. I wouldn't mind venturing out of the walls one day and come across a sword thursted into a large rocky slab with an enchantment saying, ''Those who rip the sword from it's stone shall become the King or Queen'' of some faraway land. It's an idea.

Very similar to another dusty story I read called Beowulf, however the English used was very difficult to dicipher until I noticed a few cognates and...

''Hello?'' I jumped on my feet from the slam of the door. It was Commander Hanji with a backpack on her and a smile that chilled the spine of anyone it connected at, considering her experiments which almost always involved Titans, Eren, or both.

I stood in salute to her almost immediately. Didn't bother putting the book away first, I dropped it mid-startle.

''Commander Hanji! What can I do for you?'' I could guess she was looking for Eren, likely another trivial experiment on transformations. The way Eren described it, he appears to have almost full control over his Titan form as long as he can keep his mood at a specific balance between rage and duty.

I'm sure Hanji told him that.

''Oh drop the formalities, Armin. I've gotten sick of that,'' she entered the room and looked around perplexed, ''where's Eren?'' Eren also happens to be my roommate. Our rooms are two each, no co-ed except for certain occasions.

I broke stance before speaking, if only my voice would take the hint. ''Yes, M'am. Corporal Yeager is currently out with Corporal Ackerman in the city.'' I was not at all surprised when Mikasa, not Eren, asked him out after Historia took the throne. I guess it was along the lines of, 'we could die tomorrow, so why wait and hold our feelings until we die of something worse than being eaten: heartbreak.' Since then, they've become inseperable. So much to the point that I was stuck as a third wheel.

She gave me a queer look at me for calling her M'am. ''Are you saying that to make me mad or are you just mannerly?'' I quivered to what I would say next, as if either answer shared a similar consequence...that is until she broke character and laughed. ''I'm kidding, call me whatever you want! I'm not like No-Fun Levi.''

I thought of laughing or smiling, but my body only responded by sweating further. ''Is there anything else you're here for?''

''Now that you say that,'' her voice must've amped up a few octaves, ''there is!'' With a desperate clutch, she gripped my shoulders causing me to whimper. ''I have this new experiment I want to devise and you, Armin Arlert, are the perfect specimen!''

''Huh?'' She lept towards my bookcase and looked through every single topic in what must've been attoseconds without rest.

''Biology, immunlogy, genetics...you really are smart! You're even more perfect than I realized!'' How did she know they didn't belong to Ere...oh right, Eren. ''Do you know what Eugenics is?''

''You want to experiment on my DNA?!''

''Exactly! Hear me out!'' In horror & intrigue, I did despite every fiber of my being telling me to run away.

''You see, after we captured Reiner & Berthold decided to surrender himself, I took a quick gander at their DNA from their Titan forms before they managed to dissipate entirely, which was a harsh process and compared them to,'' she sniffed before continuing, ''Sawney and Bean's DNA to which I found a discovery. It is possible to splice Titan & Human DNA to create someone with traits similar to a Titan in physical & immunological, and also...''

''Please forgive me for interrupting but what does this have to do with me?''

She stared at me in a moment of clarity before continuing in a manner I didn't think she would, maybe because of what I was used to from higher-ups.

''I'm glad you asked! For some strange coinscidence, you & Sawney have very similar DNA connections which makes you possible to have your DNA spliced with his.''

''But why not anyone else? Like Jean, Eren, Mikasa, or even Connie...'' The last one chilled out my throat before I could utter the noise.

''For Eren, Titan Shifter DNA when not in a certain form will die away quicker than normal Titans while the other three could not be spliced. Their DNA just wasn't compatible from my notes.''

''How do you know mine ar...''

''Not important! What matters now is we have an amazing opportunity to create the first ever Superhuman! Think about it, we have the Titans on the run after we found out the chemical destablizer worked against them and now we an have a seemingly invincible man chasing them away further! We could save lives just from your existance! What do you think?''

I had so many questions come to mind all at once. Why do you have my DNA? How did you get my DNA? Were there other test subjects? How do you know this will work? And so on, and so forth but none of these questions came to mind. I couldn't tell which word tricked me into saying what I did, of which by the way was a large and unanimous,

''Yes, M'am. I shall.''

It could have been being invincible, being the first ever Superhuman, or perhaps, and this isn't just a word, save lives from my existance. Whether my inital feelings on the matter was selfish or selfless doesn't matter now. All that mattered was that I, Armin Arlert, would be useful mind & body for the coming days at that point.

''Great to hear! Meet me in my lab at 8:00 am tomorrow sharp and we will conduct tests then! Oh and before I leave, let's keep this our little secret, huh?'' With a wink and a run, she left my room.

Here's the problem with leaving me alone in my room, it let's all of my thoughts enter my head including self-doubts and second guesses.

Did what I just agreed to have been the right thing or was I wrong to not ask those questions? What if I turned into a freakish monster like in those tragedies! Or I transformed into a Titan?! What do I...

''Armin?'' Eren? ''Did I just see Hanji leave here?''

''I don't think so, I was about to read...''I looked down and quickly picked up Camelot from the floor, ''this!''

''You're not going to get immersed into that as you did with 300, will you?'' That was the short name for Thermopylae, a short story about the King of a land called Sparta that fought a legion of Persians with only 300 soldiers. It was one of my favorite stories when I was young. To have such bravary to fight that many people to protect your home. It was enviable.

''No, so what are you doing home early? I thought you were with Mikasa?''

He started to search through his drawer before taking out a small item I could barely notice. ''I was. We went out for a walk around, spoke a little, had dinner, sparred, you know, the romantic stuff but then I felt like I had a question for you so I left, she had horse duty anyways.''

I don't think this will have anything to do with Eugenics. ''Alright, don't freak out,'' he showed me the item which was a wooden ring case, it was crudely made, likely, by Eren or some amateur wood cutter, ''I'm going to ask her to marry me.'' Did I mention how much Jean howled after he found out Mikasa asked out Eren? Apparently, Connie didn't sleep for a week. That was until Jean started talking to Sasha but I digress.

''Wait, are you sure you want to do that? The Survey Corps are preparing to attack one of the last few Titan breeding grounds and they want you and Mikasa to lead the charge with Warrant Officer Levi, wouldn't you rather wait?''

Eren's face went from joy to something close to anger, but not entirely there like a light pink. ''I know and so does Mikasa. Why wait? Me and her could die tomorrow, you could die tomorrow, Levi could die tomorrow, all of us could be killed by a rampaging Titan as we speak so why wait? If I'm going to die when we perform that offensive, I'll die a married man with the woman I love.''

''Alright, alright, but you two have only been together for a few months now...''

''And we've lived together for almost ten years.''

''I know...''

''Then why are you asking me if I want to do this?'' I should've known better. Eren is way too easily defensive, especially if he believes something needs to happen like defend mankind, kill the Titans, and marry Mikasa.

''I-it's nothing. I'm happy for the both of you.'' He kept a blink of victory before returning to the smile he came back in here with.

''I'm glad because I want you to be my best man.'' Anticipation was written all across his face, bending his knees to my level. I could tell he had worry from our semi-argument, he really shouldn't! ''I can't think of anyone else who should be there.'' Without sounding egotistical, there was no one else!

''Of course I'll do it.'' Did my voice have a jist of nervousness in it? Cause Eren was laughing. It's been a while since I see Eren or Mikasa smile so frequently or laugh with glee. For the first time in a long time, they were both happy.

''Thank-you, Armin. I really appreciate it.''

''Sure,'' I shrugged, ''what are friends for?''

He stood up, gently placing the ring box in the pocket of his trousers, making a small undetectable bulge hidden around the 3DMG garb he placed around himself. ''I'm glad we could do that. I'm gonna go head off to do some training in the woods nearby, wanna come?''

''Wait, I need some help,'' he stuck around curiously awaiting, his left leg shook wanting to train, ''I was offered to perform a secret task by Commander Hanji earlier today,'' I tried to word it to make sure it stayed a secret but not vague enough to take away the purpose of the experiment, ''and she told me if I did this, it could be a great help for humanity and I'm nervous about what would happen to me if I did. What should I do?''

''Do you remember what you told me a while back? If you're not willing to sacrifice anything, you won't change anything. This seems like your chance to do something like that.''

''It's also Hanji...''

''Hanji is scary, but not deadly...well to humans. I've survived all of her experiments so take that in stride. If she didn't think it would work, she wouldn't ask.''

''You're right, thanks Eren.''

''What are friends for?'' He waved his hand towards me. ''Now get your gear, we have trees to fly through!''

-3 hours later-

I...I think my heart stopped...for a moment.

Seriously, Eren could make Shadis' & Levi's look like a walk in the park. I must have used up all of my second wind's for the next few months trying to keep up through every quick branch and trunk. I've eaten enough leafs to be classified a herbivore.

At one point during the exercise, I must have lost track where I was going and crashed head first into a wasp's nest. I tried to activate my gear at a dextrious rate, I wasn't fast enough. The wasps started to sting my hand before Eren tackled me away from the area. Wasps are territorial bugs so they wouldn't follow us after a while.

It took a while for the sting to effect my hand, becoming red and insufferable. We dropped by towards the hospice to get some cream and bandages to keep it applied to the wound.

There's my body again, failing to react to the most obvious of dangers. There was something worth changing for.

If I won't sacrifice anything, I can't change anything.

This body...I hate it and I'm more than willing to sacrifice it for something better, especially after that, but my body changing to a stronger form can't be the only thing, can it? If it helps my friends take on the Titans and quit having to protect me every five minutes, I'll do it.

You could say I made my decision then.

Eren left to go propose to Mikasa, best of luck to you. I chose to visit Connie while I was there. About an hour late but I'm sure he wouldn't mind. His mood is a lot more managable around now, closer to what he was like before.

I checked his room window to see if he was awake. I could still barely handle the sight of him. Only a week ago, he was landing kicks and knees to me, fighting like a man with a purpose.

Now, he sleeping with his bed at a slight angle, his eyebrows were arched in a state of frustration and anger, the eurphoria of any drugs in his system have yet to work on him if at all. His hair grew out to a much darker colour, only slightly longer than Eren's, more string-like to something I can only describe as malicious or perhaps malnourished. His upper body still had the features of a young man in his prime, his lower body was mangled, his calves were crushed by Reiner's grip as if he were pressing on a tube of toothpaste, desperately oozing at the last drop.

The Doctors and Medic had said that rehabilitation for him would happen soon, but his chances of walking again were nothing short of a miracle.

It never gets any easier.

''He still blames Jean.'' I'm glad Sasha gave me an excuse to look away for a moment. This is the first time I've seen Sasha here, whether she visited earlier or not. She & Connie had to be as close as me & Eren are, if not as close as Eren & Mikasa are. Ever since the fight, Sasha was a changed woman. She acted less eccentric, she was less talkative, and the food storages, especially in potatoes, had been in surplus. She only spent time with Jean & Mikasa, and the only reason she spent time with Mikasa was because they shared the same room.

''I don't know.'' Truth was he went on a full rant about how Jean was nothing more than a opportunist momma's boy who would stab anyone in the back just to look good, then he said Sasha was gullible enough to fall for it. It's scary what a week can do. As for Jean, I haven't heard from or spoken to him since. Only Sasha has. ''Have you ever tried visiting him?''

''I have.'' She started to tear up a little. I had thought about comforting her but not in front of the window. ''I would hope everyday it would get easier & easier to visit him but it never does. It took everything I had to come today.'' She turned to me, her head was still down and her chestnut brown hair hiding her eyes. ''Do you think it was Jean's fault?''

''How could anyone know? Only three people were in the underground.'' By the time we found Connie, Jean, & Reiner, a large armoured skeleton, doused with the chemical destabilizer, laid before us with Reiner detained by the hands, Jean above him gasping with an armour piercing blade in his hand and Connie in the corner, surronded by his own blood.

''You're right. Have you spoken to Reiner?''

''No one has, no one I know.''

''Oh.''

Seconds felt like hours, we were stuck standing there for so long. I'd imagine what Sasha was thinking about saying, a part of me believed she was thinking the same thing. ''I feel tired, try to have a good night, Sasha.''

''Armin,'' I stopped, ''Jean feels horrible about that day. I...I wish I could say more but he feels horrible.''

''How do you feel?'' She must've been caught off-guard by my question but instead of pressing on like I wanted to, I just left. I should've said something like he was your friend and you couldn't visit him once. I'm sure Connie's spirits would have risen from seeing Sasha once.

It's her life in the end, I feel bad that while Eren & Mikasa are on cloud nine, which I found further evident when I saw the two in my bedroom cuddling with each other, Sasha, Connie, and maybe Jean are trapped in limbo.

I didn't want to disturb them. Any time for peace is good.

Now that I think about it, I should visit some of the Titan Shifters too, it must be lonely in those prison cells, chained to the floor. Annie can't still be in that crystal cage, can she?

Forgive me if I sound selfish, but I was content with how life was for me, especially now with the chance of me being the world's first Superhuman; to help defend humanity at a better rate isn't a bad thing to do. I just hope that I can protect my friends for a change, save them when they need me.

I know I'll help them in some way on their wedding day, whenever that is.

-Present Time-

Their wedding day...I often wondered how that went.

A part of me felt like a few of those kicks were fired at me by Mikasa & Eren for not being at their wedding and letting them believe I had disappeared...

...for a month.

I still feel guilty for missing that when I said I would and it was not by my choice. I didn't have a single opinion. No matter how many times I tried to tell myself they were better off not seeing me or not being around me, I missed them more than ever.


	2. More than Human & The Price Paid

Chapter 2: More than Human and the Price Paid

-Present Time-

The cuts took a while to heal up. By my account, it felt like an hour, maybe longer. In that time, I started to remember that feeling of pain I thought I've forgotten. The stinging of a cut, the trauma of a bruise, the after feeling of a sore limb. It was all coming back to me.

The passing out from feeling immeasurable pain that the bodies' synpases couldn't fire fast enough to keep it going.

The entire time, I heard my attacker yell out a lost man's complaints, screaming at me with each strike full of indignation. I could take in solace that they wouldn't kill me; they didn't want to. They did say something to me in a covered voice before I fell into unconciousness.

''Do you taste your own blood again? You can die, Armin. You're no god.''

A god? Me?

Wasted words from a desperate person. I did revel in how powerful I became but I never thought I was a god, not that anyone would think the contrary.

Gods were mythological creatures from the depths and minds of those wanting more from what we see. In times of hope, I did believe in such creatures.

The closest thing to a god I did feel like was Heracles; a half-man, half-god who committed 12 labours to achieve his destiny. The closest thing to a god I became was half-man, half-Titan on a DNA standpoint, not that you would guess the latter from my appearance. It never dawned on me that I was. If I were, I wonder what my 12 labours would've been...I'm sure one of them involved having to deal with the Titans.

Now if I were to use the Hellenic stories to compare people, I'd say Eren was Perseus, Mikasa was a mix between Andromeda & Minerva, Sasha was Atalanta, but Hanji?

If the Titans were the closest thing to a god we have and Hanji 'stole' their DNA to make me what I am, I think you can found out who she is...it's a shame that, in nature, stealing fire can be dangerous.

-Flashback: 3 monthes and 29 days ago-

I silently escaped my room where the soon-to-be married couple stayed in each other's arms in the other bed to make my appointment with Hanji. It gave me fufillment to know they found happiness in this world.

I felt a heavy sensation in my gut the closer I reached her lab which was on a wing inside the castle, overlooking Yeager field, the nickname for Eren's Titan training area.

I've never been involved with any of Hanji's experiments before so the curiousity of me becoming a monster or a freak of Titantic proportions were becoming more-and-more a reality. I tried to remember Bertholt's relaxation techniques back before he & Reiner went rogue.

Close your eyes, breath in, breath out, think of nothing, repeat. Keep your hands level if it helps.

Some of the stress lifted, only until I started thinking again. I smacked my head with my palm lightly, hoping it would give my brain the message. The message responded with a memory; I remember when I was given my report conclusion from Shadis after we were placed in our specific fields. Mikasa & Eren, unlike everyone else, didn't share their reports and neither did I, either out of embarrasment or modesty. It was as followed:

''Arlert, Armin

Rank: Private

Station: Survey Corps

Rank No: 28

Scale (1-10):

Strength - 4

Reflexes - 5

Endurance - 3

Intelligence - 10

Tenacity - 6

Speed - 4

Teamwork - 7

Final Comment: Trainee Arlert is one of the top minds to graduate from the 104th Trainee division with great promise in theoretical and military strategy akin to Commander Pixis without having to inflat his ego. The less time he has to think about a plan, the more likely it will succeed. This provides a strange irony because his other physical qualities are lackluster in comparison, hindered by his constant thinking that allows him to excel in the classroom & the war room. I would've strongly suggested for him to join the Garrison.''

It's a shame that the Garrison was never an option, not for everything that happened. I don't ever regret joining the Survey Corps. I did it to be with my friends and protect them & humanity.

Now after three years, I may finally fufill my second obligation.

A long walk later, I managed to get to the lab where Hanji was already preparing a large silver appartus in the room, akin to a heavy coffin or a metallic cacoon with tubes going inside from the top of the room, and tubes going in the back connected to a few chambers along the back and eight gas filters along the front and back. She was with someone else helping her prepare some of the chemicals with a large silver box that had a ''WARNING'' symbol on it.

The room itself was brown with brick walls everywhere like the rest of the castle and, despite being a lab, it was relatively clean. Not by Levi's standards, but for mine it was. My half of the room was messy with books and journals stacked up by the bed out of laziness. Eren's was a state. How Mikasa can sleep over in that dreck was lost on me.

I tried to perform a quick meditation at the side of the doorway before I announced my presence further. My hands floated on the air in front of me, heaving my chest up, then down. Up then down.

''I can do this.'' I motivated myself quietly.

The lab itself seemed far too advanced for the place it's in. I knocked on the out-of-place stone slab to gain their attention. ''Uhhh...Commander Hanji?'' The assisstant, who had a dark complexion similar to Ymir's with slicked back dark hair and patchy sideburns looked at me with an odd look before Hanji did. Right, no honorifics. I knocked again. ''Hanji?''

''Oh, Armin! Good morning, get in here! We have much to plan.'' She lept over to me and dragged me over to the large wooden table. Her eyes had black shadows drapped below, redness streched out across her eyes like the borders of a map only found in a fantasy story. Eren did say she likely never slept if she was excited about something.

''Are you excited!? This is amazing! We are about to splice living human DNA with Titan ones. This is something we need to document, imagine in a short amount of time we will be removing stands of your DNA and remake your biology to a more superior physical form. I can only speculate on what you'll become, how you'll think? Oh my, can we just start it now?''

''Hanji, you're drooling again.'' The assistant spoke nonchalantly.

''Oh right, Armin, this is Lance Corporal James Capulet. He will be assisting with the procedure.''

''How do you fare?'' He bowed to me as I returned the favor. His voice and demeanor was a full contrast compared to Hanji's.

''Didn't sleep?''

''Wouldn't let me.''

A thunderous clap came from an over-excited and eccentric Hanji. ''Enough small talk! We must begin the procedure! I'll prepare the apparatus. James, you do the boring thing.''

A tiger's dash couldn't compare to Hanji's as she threw her body all around the apparatus, preparing every tube, fastening every valve, making sure each chmical in each compartment had the exact amount it had to. Watching this spectacle distracted me perfectly from the needle that made itself into the veins of my forearm, providing a small pinch and a yelp.

''That's done.'' James said, putting away the needle.

''That wasn't so bad.'' Comforting my forearm.

''That was just the painkiller with a light anesthetic going inside your body. The euphoria should make it's way inside your body as we speak.''

My lips made an ''oh'' sound before my eyes turned towards the apparatus Hanji was preparing, grinning a monster's smile before she removed the locks, revealing a gurney with straps and restraints. She was checking to make sure they did their job for when the time comes.

Breathe in, breathe out, repeat as many times until the convulsions in your throat give away.

''Worried?''

A small ''yeah'' quickly left my lips, returning desperately to my routine.

''You should be, so am I.

This is the first time she's trying this out on a human. She's tried the same routine with insects, bugs, boars, and the frogs you can find in the lakes outside Maria. I'm not going to get into what happened to them if their DNA didn't synch well, but the ones that did became, what we call, apex predators of their own species.''

I nodded. At least there was a chance this could work...

''So we had to put them down.''

''Why d-did yo-uu have to tell me that?'' I can understand changing the environment had consequences but I didn't need to know that last part.

''Didn't think you needed to not know.''

Is it too late to back out? I'll either become a monster or a creature that needs to die! Great, good morning to me.

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.

''It's reahhhhhhh-dyyyyyyyyy!'' She sang in anticipation. I gulped in fear until finally the euphoria kicked in. This couldn't be all bad, besides I'll be defending mankind if it all works. I could probably beat Eren in a 3DMG race one day and show off to Jean. This could all work out for me, right?

''Okay, remove your clothing to your undergarments and enter the chamber. It will be a two minute process considering your body weight and height.'' James commanded me. I quickly lept out of my clothing, quickly in terms of being in my state while a giddy Hanji looked over.

''Any last suggestions?'' I asked James & Hanji, whomever was willing to answer me. Hanji couldn't say anything coherent so it came to James.

''Try to get comfortable.''

Two minutes? That can't be too bad.

-Present Time-

Without going into great details, it was the most painful process of my life. Worse than being swallowed by a Titan, breaking my leg from running away from Jean, being beaten up by those bullies, and kneed by Connie times fifty for a full minute and thirty seconds.

In great detail, the gurny was cold on my back and legs while the apparatus inside was darker than it should've been. I cringe to imagine the pain if it wasn't for the painkiller.

Once the gas was released inside the chamber and the tubes, which had strange needles and claws attached themselves to my limbs, stabbing me with their tips a few moments later, I learned what true pain was.

It was like my entire body was in the last stage of drowning, my cardiac muscles were on quadtruple capacity. My somatic muscles wanted to rip themselves off of me to escape this torment. My brain must've melted and re-melted a hundred times, a dummer pounding for war. How my eyes didn't explode from the sheer pain coming from my skull is anyone's guess.

The gurny's chill was suppressed by my boiling blood and any other fluid in my body adapted to the extreme heat I was feeling inside. The sun must've been flowing through my body, testing my every limb. I couldn't help but shake, dangling and smacking my head off the restraints.

It was no use, all I could do was scream.

From the small window I had, whenever I could keep my eyes open, I saw Hanji watching with a grin like a succubus watching her prey die before draining his fluids for herself. I hated her, I wanted her dead for making me, no, making me want to go through this. James had worry in his eyes, he kept telling her something, words striken down by the demand of science.

Fuck science and fuck Shadis for giving me a 3 on my endurance result. Who got top on endurance again, right it was Reiner. Yeah, I'd love to see Reiner take on this pain for ten seconds with the sadist scientist watching from her roost. Eren might enjoy seeing Reiner go through that.

In short, I had bathed in the River of Styx for 120 seconds, but after 90 the pain started to go away, my hate for Hanji turned into thanks, and my thoughts on Shadis changed from contempt to a single command. ''You better change my score to an eleven, you bald Neanderthal.''

I passed out from the pain right before they opened the door to the apparatus.

Since then, I had been punched, kicked, shot at, grabbed by Titan's, whatever came my way. I've been hurt, but I never felt pain.

-3 months & 14 days ago-

The first thing I see when I came to was Hanji, holding her head before me on the bed, eyes wider than anyone's should be. You could say I was caught off-guard. The word petrified worked better.

''Wakey, wakey!''

''Hanji!?''

''Yeah, you must've been really tired to pass out for two weeks. Levi must be working you Corporal's like a bull on overdrive.'' Yeah sure, blame Levi. No, go ahead and blame him.

''How long was I down for again?''

''Two weeks!''

''Wha-, whoa, what about my friends, the Corps?''

She pressed her lips together and gave a non-serious squirt noise. ''Don't worry. I told them that you were on a secret mission for me. Confidential and all that.''

She was right, so I nodded. I knew this was supposed to be a secret, how secretive was what scared me.

''By the way, I managed to get some books for you from your room. No one was inside so I took whatever I could hold. They're over there.'' She pointed to a small stockpile of books on top of a wooden table across the side of my bed. She crossed her arms with a satisfying smile. ''You seem to enjoy fantasy too. Camelot was a favourite of mine since I was a child. Why don't you come here and pick it up?''

''Y-yes, Commander.'' I felt winded, exhausted from sleeping in the greatest oxymoron I've ever told. Perhaps my body is still damaged from that torture machine. Still smart, still wea...

I tried to stand up from the bed when I realized something as I went straight up, well two things. The first was I had clothes on so someone dressed me. I don't think I want to know.

The second was...well...before the apparatus, me and Hanji were close in height. Now, I sort of towered over her. I wasn't freakishly tall like Bertholt, but I was close. I looked down at Hanji, drooling with excitement, a face of pure glee, eyes glowing like the stars in a night sky.

I gazed at my hands which grew in size to become more proportionate to my increased height. I felt my arms, then my chest, and my face. Everything was bigger, more veinascular besides my face. Greater examination of my right arm revealed that not only were my arms more defined, I could clearly tell where my biceps ended and my triceps began.

My body was in pure shock of what I found out about myself, I nearly tripped over my legs in bewilderment if my arms didn't catch my fall like a cat from a roof. I quickly brought myself backup on my feet to continue staring at...well...myself, standing in shock. If Hanji was talking to me, I couldn't hear her over the loud sensations resonating in my head. This...this is impossible! I can't be...well this!

There had to be a side effect! I was born an ectomorph, ectomorphs don't become this muscular.

''Can I have a mirror?''

''Here!'' She already had one in her chest lapel, handing it towards me where I looked at my face. My expectation was that I had to be a freak, a monster. Something with scales only found in the darkest corners of the Earth. All I had was me. My neck seemed more defined but my face was just normal everyday Armin.

''I-I'm...''

''Amazing. You appear to have the physical superiority of a Titan to some degree but your mind remains human along with the rest of you.''

''I...this has to be a dream...I'm not...this can't last forever...''

She waved her finger in front of me. ''Na-uh-uh. You've been like this the day after we recovered you from the apparatus. It doesn't seem like this is a temporary fix. We stopped feeding you for a sole day and your body didn't degenerate or hunger, it was static! I tried to grab you to see if you were as hot as any other Titan, and well, you were but you didn't burn my hands! You are a miracle of science, my science! I told Erwin this was a good idea!''

Any other Titan, I quickly checked the nape of my neck to see if there were any obvious tendons or growths. I patted across it where my hand only met my spine.

''All of the Titan, none of the weaknesses. I should know, I checked.'' So while I was asleep, not only has Hanji grabbed me in places I don't want to think about not like I feel complimented in some form by it, she slashed at me too. She showed me the scapel with a broken blade.

''At first I administered a soft stroke but your skin didn't break. I stroke with a stiffer slash and the blade broke off of your spine! There was no crystal shell like Annie or armor like Reiner, there was only your spine! The apparatus was more potent than I could've imagined!''

''You mean to tell me I'm virtually indestructable?''

Her mouth went to a different angle before continuing. ''Not exactly. We tried concealing all forms of sunlight from you, like we did was Sawny,'' she made a twitch, ''and after two days, I gave you a small cut on your right arm. It drew a little blood and left a cut but it didn't last long. I turned my head for a moment and it was gone like a snap.'' She snapped her fingers in unison.

''So sunlight is the source of my power?''

''It makes you more powerful, the chemicals going through your body make you what you are! It's actually quite simple, first we took an innate version of the retrovirus called Leporact and used a tinsy bit of the Homo-Titanus Nullifier formula to strip away its deadly effects ceasing the lethal and deabilitating portions while inserting more positive effects inside of it...''

I tried to pay attention to what she was saying so I could get an idea of what was going through my body. I didn't feel comfortable of having a retrovirus, a strain of Leporact, which have been a scorn on several lower income families across Wall Rose & the newly settled Wall Maria, or having the Homo-Titanus Nullifier in my veins. The last is the long name for the Chemical Destabilizer, a biochemical weapon created by Hanji to allow any strike to a Titan to eventually destroy the body without having to sever the tendon. For Titan Shifters, it cuts the neurological connection between the human mind and the Titan proxy, killing the body while sparing the human.

It's how Jean was able to defeat Reiner.

Jean, Sasha, Connie, Eren, Mikasa, Historia...I wonder how they were all doing...wait, two weeks?

''Hanji, do you know if the latest offensive on the Titan breeding ground had started yet?'' She wouldn't know anything about local marriages. She's lost in the loop unless it involves science, Titan experimentation, human defense, or human experiments.

''Where was this coming from, I was talking about Thermopylae? Yeah, they were led by No-Fun Levi.''

How did she switch to...never mind. ''Any casualties?''

She shook her hand. ''Besides a horse or two and a trainee snapping her wrist, everyone was fine. Why?'' I let out a sigh of relief.

''I was worried about my friends.'' She calmly smiled, resting her hand on my broad shoulder.

''I know, I feel the same way whenever I see someone go off into the grounds. Pour enough Homo-Titanus and they stop growing.''

''Can I go see them later?''

''Of course, why are you asking me? You have free will, do what you want.'' She giggled in enthusiasm, ''after we show you to the Royal Committee.''

''Wait, what?''

''Not many people know about our little experiment besides the Royal Committee and James. It was funded by the Queen and approved by Erwin, of course he wanted someone different.''

''He wanted someone stronger...''

''He didn't want to lose a young prospect.''

''Please don't screw with me, Hanji. I..''

Her face changed to sympathy. ''Don't be so hard on yourself. Look, he wanted Levi to be the first superhuman, his second choice was Eren, followed by Mikasa, then Connie if it helped heal him...''

''Was I even a consideration?''

''No, but...''

''Then why me?!'' Besides the obvious DNA synch issue.

She fell silent. She smiled not a moment after before returning to her ecstatic mood. ''I'll tell you after we present you to the committee.''

''Fine, please tell me if it's worth waiting for.''

''It is,'' she turned to leave the room before telling me one more thing, ''we're already in the Royal Palace so whenever you're ready, meet me near the doors across the hall.''

Whatever it was, I hope it was worth it. I respect Commander Erwin Smith with a high value but the fact that he doesn't imagine me to be suitable or I didn't cross his mind makes me wonder how little I'm considered among the Survey Corps in a physical stance.

Enough complaining, I'll disprove them, disprove them all.

-5 minutes later-

I took the much larger Survey Corps uniform left in my room in the Palace and put it on as soon as I could. It didn't come with 3DM gear or swords so it appears I'm only here to present myself.

The Royal Commitee consisted of Queen Historia Reiss, Commander Keith Shadis who was placed in the Military Police after the original was dismissed for corruption, Commander Erwin, Field Marshall Dot Pixis of the Garrison, and Commander Hanji Zoe who was head of the applied science division, which happened to be more associated with the Survey Corps than anywhere else.

Rumour swarmed that they planned on giving Eren a seat to represent the common soldiers and Titan Shifters but that was immediately debunked after he asked me, ''what the hell I was talking about?''

''Armin, the outfit fits you well.'' She spoke modestly.

I nodded and wondered when I was going in.

''When I say so! I need to prep them for you before you can make your presence in. I'll tell you the signal.''

''What's that?''

She made a howling sound that freaked out some of the Royal Guardsmen around us except for one in particular who kept staring at something in my direction. I shrugged it off and continued to listen to Hanji's bantering.

''All clear?''

''Yes, M'am.''

''All cl-ear?''

''Yes, Hanji.'' I rolled my eyes.

''Good! Oh, before I go in. I looked through your books while you were asleep and remember when I was talking about Thermopylae earlier?''

I nodded even if it was a stone cold lie.

''Well I enjoyed that story too so let's say I got some of the metalurgist's over at the Garrison to make me something interesting for you to use with a new kind of metal we found in one of the breeding grounds. It was so light yet so strong! I tried hitting with my knuckles a few times and it didn't leave a scratch, just a small echo noise like a gong! It's...''

Before she could continue, she was interrupted by one of the Royal Guardsmen who came out of the large doors. ''Commander Hanji, the Commitee is ready for you.''

''Oh perfect! Armin, we'll talk more about this later. Remember my signal.'' How could I forget?

If the Queen was inside, the Royal Guard was too. Only two or three guards were aloud inside the Commitee room at a time and were sworn to a strict sense of secrecy by the commitee to never communicate a single word uttered inside that room under penalty of...something really bad. I'd imagine hanging because it would be considered high treason.

Oh boy, I really hope they don't do that to me if I come out as being well this! Would I die of hanging after what I've become or could I rip the rope with my neck in some biazarre fashion? I laughed at the idea of snapping my neck, doing a front flip, and knocking down a few guardsmen in the process, running and leaping over the wall towards the sunset.

I could imagine the world there. The taste of undisturbed air, the clear ocean, trees untouched by human civilization for centuries. I should move out to the mountains then and feast on sunlight for the rest of my days. Hold on, did Hanji explain what would happen to my lifespan? I...I...

*Achoooooooooo-yeeaaaaoiii*

There it was!

The doors were opened up, revealing Hanji in a theatrical pose before the committee who sat on a large wooden table with artistic caligraphy across it with, from left-to-right, Shadis, Pixis, Historia, Erwin, & an empty chair for Hanji before me. The room was enormous with large stained glass windows to the left and banners for the three walls and the unity symbol among them to the right. They all say on large chairs, closer to thrones, just not as lavish with gold encrusted arms and top detailed on each one.

There didn't seem to be any special items for the Queen besides a different ornamented uniform, having the royal symbol instead of her former Survey Corps one. The Royal Guardsmen, two of them, were stationed on each side of the table with rifles on hand and swords in their 3DM gear.

''Presenting the world's first superhuman, Corporal Armin Arlert of the Survey Corps.'' I nervously walked towards the center of the room in front of the Comittee and saluted before them, keeping a determined face in the process if I could.

''Your highness, commanders, Field Marshall Pixis, I, Corporal Armin Arlert of the Survey Corps, is present and determined to act on duty for whatever operations you wish to administer.'' I guess the formula didn't do much for my awkward words.

Nevertheless, Commander Shadis & Field Marshall Pixis were in disbelief of what they saw before them, Commander Smith was impressed but seemed disappointed, and Queen Historia looked at me smiling.

''I never expected to see you stand before us, Armin. How does things fare among the Survey Corps, is everyone alright?'' Historia spoke with a gentle and innocent voice. I would be lying to say I didn't miss it.

''Besides the Shifters in question & Connie, everyone appears to be doing fine.''

''Yes, I am aware of Corporal Springer's injury. Commander Hanji, how fares that project of yours'?''

Hanji spoke again by my side. ''I'm working on that. It will be my next project to have his legs healed and have him fit for duty, but enough about him I wish to discuss my most recent success.

As you can see, the formerly frail but intelligent Armin Arlert has been made into the perfect combination of body & mind. He has been given speculated peak human physical capabilities with no consequence to his psyche. The DNA strand used from Sawny's DNA, a blanked version of the retrovirus, Leporact, along with a minor dose of the Homo-Titanus Nullifier had mixed well with his compatible DNA to construct him into the being the stands before you. Any questions?''

The first came from Commander Erwin who criticized the choice in a repectful manner but criticized because it wasn't an experienced warrior. Hanji already explained the DNA incompatability for everyone else, but she appeared to be restraining on another specific detail, something more personal. I could read it from her erratic but planned movements.

The second from Shadis who wondered if he could be used in a more urban setting or for architecture, followed by Pixis who wanted to know if they could make more.

I should've been paying attention to what the answers to these questions were but that same Guardsmen who was staring off in space was staring in my direction again, no he was staring at me. I looked at the other one who was staring off into space like the standard disciplined Guardsmen. Something was going on.

I wish I could say my hypothesis was not true.

''For the rightful King!'' The guard shot towards Historia, only to miss, but I didn't care to look towards it. All I did was stare at the assassin before me. He dropped the rifle and broke himself through the window, using his 3DM gear to leap out and run across the roof.

In what one would call insanity, especially me, I lept out too with no hope of survival, until I found out how far I jumped. None of the glass tore at my skin, some on my jacket but nothing severe. I must've lept over a few buildings on the way down. These roofs are solid. I looked towards the assassin firing off towards the roofs blindly with seemingly no sense of direction or purpose of where he was going, so I gave chase by foot.

It was all I could do. ''This was entirely fruitless.'' I thought to myself until I realized how fast I was running.

The 3DM gear can clock in, on average, 30 kilometres an hour with decent reaction time for a 180 pound human of standard build. Despite the fact that I don't have the gear, I can't run straight without losing my target and falling to the ground, I seemed to be catching up to him, getting closer & closer.

Either he's sloppy at the 3DM gear or he's making mistakes. I need to expect the before.

We come to an overpass with a bridge among a decently crowded group of people. I need to keep them out of harm's way and keep him away from them. He seemed like the kind of guy who would take hostages.

I lept at an incline and hoped to connect with a tackle to the next roof. I caught him, hitting my head off the metal gear, not like it felt like anything more than an itch, and knocked him towards the roof. I was back on my feet long before he was able to notice his gear was broken by the fall. He howled in pain, he may have broken his ribs or injured his hip.

He started to limp his way back up, staring at me with something I never thought I'd see from across: fear. He took out a sword from his broken gear and swung out at me. I was frightened this was the end, dodging until remembering the scapel. It broke off of me. Nice sunny day out.

I grabbed the blade from the second swing, feeling a little bit less of a fly bite from the sharp ends. With Heracles' might, I crushed the blade between my grip, leaving a broken blade til the end in his hand. He had nothing left and I ha everything, much to my shock. I really am a superhuman.

''What the fuck are you!?'' He cried in fear. I smiled with a strong sense of superiority.

''I don't know, but I like it.'' I only had one plan then, take him in and make him answer for his crimes. I'm sure the others would prefer killing him, but he seemed to be a loyalist for the former king. He'll have answers.

He looked around in a cold sweat. I walked towards him slowly. There was no where for him to run, not without...'' My eyes widened to what he was about to do. With a sudden movement, he took the jagged broken blade and stabbed himself in the throat. Blood squirted all over an angled roof of the market district of Wall Sina. It was horrifying to watch.

I've heard stories of people committing suicide over desperation, but seeing it...it's sad. I placed my hand on my heart and gave him a solemn bow. He was a criminal, but he was also human who believed in something and was willing to die for it, but I don't agree with the means.

I ran as fast I could back to the Palace where I lept to the hanging part of the window, climbing myself back up unto the stony floor with the first thing I saw being the last I needed to see.

Historia was crying, behind Commander Shadis, Pixis was tending to someone, & Erwin had thrusted his blade into another member of the Royal Guard while others watched to monitor the room.

''What's going o-?'' That's when I noticed it. Pixis was tending to Hanji, who was shot in the ribs and bleeding heavily. I ran towards her to check on her, she was trying to keep up her smile, quivering her lip with each sense of strain from her eyes.

''We need to save her.''

''She's lost too much blood and the bullet is lodged too far in her liver.'' Pixis, whom I was surprised knew anything about human anatomy, told me in a sense of knowing and sadness. It never gets any easier. At least if she died by a Titan, it would make some sense.

''Say something, don't leave!'' I kept telling her, some tears left my eyes.

She grabbed something from her pocket with the last bit of strength she had, laid it on the hand I was cradling her shaken shoulder with, a golden locket with symbols I didn't have time to look at. I didn't care to look at, I was watching one of the greatest minds among the Corps die before me. It...it was unfair. She's been around for decades! This isn't right!

The locket became one with my hand as I kept cradling her shoulder and keeping her head up with my other hand. She last spoke one last sentence to me, a sentence I would keep to my heart forever.

''Never...lose...h-hope...''

With that, she slowly stopped shaking, her blood had leaked unto my trousers, and the woman he gave me the fire of the gods was taken. I didn't scream, I didn't pout. I let the tears flow out of my eyes and closed them in a rotten sense of acceptance.

I whispered in her ear, the last thing I ever told her into her sweet perfumed smell and her soft brown hair. ''I won't...I promise.''


	3. Ma-she-ga A New Destiny

Chapter 3: Ma-she-ga & a New Destiny

-Three Days Before the Present Time-

(Newspaper Article)

The Sina Times

The offensive is about to begin against the last known Titan Breeding Ground, known to be about 100 kilometres from the North of Wall Maria. The joint operation of the Survey Corps & the Military Police's Human Defence Division (H.D.D.) is meant to be led on the ground forces by two highly respected soldiers, Warrant Officer Levi Ackerman & Captain Mashiga of both divisons, respectively while the strategy session was taken over by the Royal Comittee...or so it appears.

There has been worry among the Survey Corps as of recent due to the strange disappearance of Captain Mashiga, who had recently been announced four days ago to help lead the offensive after providing support in the offensive of the last breeding ground near the Red Forest 65 kilometres Northeast of Wall Maria and subduing well-known Titan Shifter Ymir, who had escaped from Military custody. There have been no word on how she escaped nor any word from Levi Ackerman who had this to say about the disappearance of the esteemed Captain:

''It is strange that this Captain Mashina had left the way he did. I believe the stress had finally got to him. It happens but it's no godd*mn excuse. He decided to abandon his fellow man when the time rose for it.''

Upon asking this, we were able to intercept Commander Shadis about the whereabouts of Captain Mashiga, who had this to say:

''We have had no communication with Captain Mashiga for a few days now. I have commanded a portion of my men & women to conduct a search to find & locate any trace of the Captain.''

We had asked him if there was any chance he was kidnapped or killed, to which Commander Shadis replied by stating that he had the highest reserved belief that the Captain is still alive somewhere before leaving to continue preparing operations for his search.

No other comments were able to be made or answered by other members of the Survey Corps due to preparation time needed by the soldiers to prepare for the offensive.

Best of luck to all of them on the coming day. Humanity depends on each & every one of you.

The Captain would normally be seen partrolling Wall Sina, Rose, & Maria on different times out of the day, notably easy to point out from his beige armor, helmet, and shield he carrys at all times throughout the day. Otherwise, he will most likely be found within the Human Defence Division Manor, formerly used by the Anti-Personnel Division, resting or preparing for his next patrol.''

-3 Months & 10 Days before the Present Time-

Within the walls, not many people spoke different languages besides the languages we call English or Oriental. The first person I expected to be able to speak the last was Mikasa but I don't think I've ever heard her utter a phrase in it in my life. I'd assume it reminded her too much of that incident. She nor Eren ever told me about that. I never inquired about it, didn't need to.

Personally, I know enough Oriental to pass my way through all three walls whenever I need to. You won't find many people who speak both well until you get to Wall Sina where their education system is much better. I've heard more Oriental in my reluctant stay within the Palace more than I ever had, some phrases that were alien to me until very recently but I never paid attention to that.

Why you may ask would a guy who spends his time reading scientific books as a form of fun not try to learn further Oriental?

Besides the obvious that I was grieving for Hanji, whose body was moved to the Survey Corps' base to have a mass cremation, one that I wasn't allowed to but I'll get to that in a minute, I was more focused on the locket she handed to me right before she died.

Like any locket, within had a drawing of a small family of three with a small subtle girl with glasses being carried on her father's shoulders in a small drawn portrait. It was expertly drawn. Under that picture was a carving of herself only slightly younger right behind it with a small inscription in Oriental that said,

''To my beautiful daughter, this is your moment. Believe in yourself & let no one tell you otherwise.

- Love, your Father.''

I'm sure you did him proud.

Unlike any other locket, there were two strange things about it: The first was within the locket opposite the drawing and the carving was a golden hexagonal gem that bulged out in a more three dimensional shape. It touched the carving as it would close and reflected light from the sun off into it. It was warm to the touch when I last touched it, the locket itself still in my hand. I had never seen a jewel like this before or ever.

The front of the locket had a long but small inscription on it in, what I came to be familar as, was the Runic alphabet used by the Norse people when they arrived in the walls many decades ago. From what I could tell from history books, the Norse people came from the more northen landscapes of the world where something called 'snow' was common and the chill of a summer's day would freeze the heart of one who knew only comfort. Of course, that was only a line from a poem. From what I learned in the academy, again from books I bought, most of the Norse within the walls were either farmers or warriors. When the Titans became a challenge, some of the Norse ran at them with the rage of a demon possessed, managing to kill a horde before falling in number.

Matter of fact, I once read a story about a legendary Titan killer named Sigmund who, blessed by the Norse gods, took up a sword ripped from a tree and fought against the Titans without 3DM gear or any knowledge of their weak points, managing to kill 100 of them and only growing stronger while they attacked him further. It was said that he would've wiped them all out and created a land for the Norse if it wasn't for his envious brother, Lyngi. Because of Lyngi, the Norse fell out of favor to the Gods and were cursed with 'rotting fruit' and 'spawnless seeds' for all eternity until the day the sword called Bram found an owner worthy of its strength.

Of course, that was fantasy.

In truth, there were maybe 50 Norse left in the world of the walls and they started using a different variation of the Norse I was trying to read from Hanji's locket.

Hanji Zoe was one of these 50 Norse, or would it be 49? They must have had more children!

''Never lose hope.''

It was her last words, but I don't think that's what was written down on the locket. I had tried to talk to Commander Smith about the locket but all he told me was that the translations for Old Norse's Runic in that form had been lost for years.

For the last two days, I had been trying to find any similarities to the inscription, similarities to modern Norse and any Runic still in use, but it was mostly for naught. So far, I've been able to translate the following:

''.. ... struggle of light ... ... the void, ... to the dancing maidens ... .. ... for ... ... ... the light of ...''

Nothing, nothing else would help me. I would've tried to search around the Field's or the Farmlands of Wall Rose and some of the newly re-established farms of Wall Maria but, as I alluded to earlier, I wasn't allowed to go to Hanji's funeral. I'm not allowed to leave the Palace.

They had suggested that with Hanji's death and the existance of insurgents within the Royal Guard, they needed to keep the Palace on lockdown besides certain trusted people until the situation could be resolved.

I don't understand this! A sword couldn't hurt me and I want to return to the Survey Corps where I'll more likely be attacked by a Titan than a traitor! What danger could I be in, how long do I need to wait? I hope not long, the Royal Committee are currently meeting to resolve my situation while the Royal Guard are being monitored by handpicked members of Shadis' Military Police. If anything, he's cleaned them up well to the point that some have busted a few crimes. Corruption still exists within the higher ups but bad nuts are harder to crack, as the saying goes.

The last few days, my days were encircled around dealing with my newfound hunger, studing Old Norse, and reading through Camelot. I picked the book up again for the second time reading it which amazed me to why I never read it before. A young boy brought to responsibility, chosen by a wizard, to unite a land and become king only for jealousy and adultery from behind to ruin the bases of the dream he knew, a dream survived by another young boy whom taught him that might is for right.

They should teach that to the Military Police.

*Knock, knock.*

I turned my attention to the door across from me to notice a member of the Military Police with a Royal Guardsmen. ''The Royal Committee requests your presence in their chamber.''

I sighed in relief that I actually get to walk around. Anytime I've seen the Palace in it's romantic spiral of glass and brick, I imagined it was the size of the world itself. Now that I've walked most of its shining walls many times since I've been freefully imprisoned here, it just seems like another barrack. I wished I could've taken a look at the Royal Garden for a moment. I've always wanted to try that out, make something instead of destroy it for a change.

I opened the door, too excited than I should be to approach the Committee only because my chance of leaving my cage seemed imminent, that didn't cease me from keeping an eye on anyone wearing a beret on their heads.

I saluted and made my pledge towards them as I did a few days prior and stood at attention, waiting for their comments. The Two Commanders looked at each other for a brief moment as if to ask each other at once ''who shall speak first?'' Queen Historia, distraught from the last time I saw her, was in better spirits albeit a frown. I gave her a small facial expression to hopefully translate to ''I am glad you are not hurt.'' A smile is called in response from her which I took as a sign of good faith. The silence was finally broken by Field Marshall Pixis who rose before me from their table, a small breeze chilling my exposed arms from the broken stained glass window only slightly repaired.

''Corporal Armin Arlert, we apologize for keeping you as long as you were.'' He spoke before quickly taking a sip from his flask. I didn't respond, I didn't need to. ''We needed to make sure there were no more traitors inside.''

I gave a nod again. At this time, Shadis rose himself up with his standard intimidating stare towards me. To this day, he still knows how to give a chill down my spine. ''Before we make the decision, I have a question: The insurgent that you chased down a few days ago, how did he die?''

I remembered too well, it could've been a few years and I will still remember the horror, the hopelessness in his face to an indestructible man before him.

''I don't know, but I like it.''

''...but I like it.''

Why did I say that? I mean, I never had power like that before, the strength to break a sword in one hand, the move faster than the average man in a 3DM gear. Hell, I jumped & climbed my way back to this very chamber!

The last time I heard of someone dying of suicide was during the Battle of Trost...someone shot himself in the head with a shotgun. Out of fear of being eaten by a Titan. A man killed himself in front of me out of fear of what, me? Was I akin to a Titan now?

''Corporal Arlert! How did the insurgent die?!''

''My apologies, Commander Shadis. He killed himself by sword.''

''Are you being honest?'' I did take a while to think about. I can see his suspicions.

''Yes, Commander.''

He nodded and sat back down while Commander Smith rose next. ''Are you ready to hear what we have to say?''

I nodded, I couldn't wait, harbouring my obsessive need for knowledge about my fate.

''Alright, we had decided to vote on your circumstance on what to do with you. You had wished to return to the Survey Corps and continue your duty under Warrant Officer Levi Ackerman and we considered it, however we have come to an alternative decision that was Commander Hanji's perogative for recruiting you along with Commander Shadis'.''

Hanji & Shadis were working together?

''We had decided to vote between the two decisions.''

W-what? ''Do I not have a say?''

''Normally you would but considering recent events and your current situation, we had to change how this would work. I'm sorry.''

What did Hanji want from me?

Historia rose next. ''Members, are we ready to vote?'' A unianimous aye & nod was what followed.

''Who of you wish for Corporal Armin Arlert to remain with the Survey Corps under Warrant Officer Levi Ackerman?'' A Royal Guard asked the Committee to which two hands rose, Commander Smith & Field Marshall Pixis lifted their hands.

Phew, it would be a tie.

''Who of you wish for Corporal Armin Arlert to be transferred to the Military Police under Commander Shadis' revived Human Defence Division?''

Wait, Human Defence Division? What, they wanted to switch me? I wasn't in the top 10, I was no where near the top 10!

As expected, Commander Shadis raised his hand and to my shock Queen Historia raised hers. ''Armin, this is for the greater good.''

''It's a tie...''

Queen Historia clinched her fists on the table, looking at me still with a content face. ''Because you were under Commander Hanji for a project in conjuction with Commander Shadis, her vote remains valid towards her inital plan, therefore you are to be transferred to the Military Police's Human Defence Division as its premier member, effective immediately.''

My life, with a democratic vote, was thrown away.

''Wha-, wha-...''

''I know you may have a lot of questions,'' stated Commander Smith, my former higher up, ''but Commander Shadis will explain them all to you after I have a conversation with you.'' He motioned with me to follow him to a seperate room, usually used for interrogation. You could say I went pale. I had no idea what to ask or where to begin. Where would he begin?

He sat on the wooden chair nearest the table, laying his cheek close to his fist, elbow on the table.

''So Armin, how does it feel to have tremendous power?'' I stood up, relaxation was not an option.

''I wouldn't know, Erwin. I never thought about it much.''

''What have you been thinking about?''

''Hanji, my friends, my life, gardening, and now what just happened.''

''Right, your friends. There's no point in being mad at me, Armin, I wanted you back.''

As much as I was angry at him too, he was right. He voted for me to remain with the Corps. He didn't want to let me go. I relaxed a little and gave him the respect of sitting down near him, see him as an equal under biological standards. ''You're right, I apologize Commander Smith.''

''Relax, Corporal Arlert. Did you ever think about why you were placed in this Palace for so long?''

''Insurrection of the Royal Guard? My defence?''

''If anything, their going to need defence from you, but what I was shocked about was, while being in the Survey Corps for so long, you didn't kill that insurgent. Did you want to apprehend him instead?''

''Yes, but this isn't what you want to talk about.''

His eyebrows moved up and down slowly to show a somewhat surprise that one from his own Corps showed self-restraint from spilling blood. Try talking to Jean once in a while. Despite his attitude, he really doesn't want to get his hands bloody. ''You're right. Who do you know in your Division from the Survey Corps?''

This is too silly of a question. ''Obviously Eren & Mikasa, Levi, Jean, Sasha, Connie, should I include former members imprisoned?''

''Not needed,'' he sighed this couldn't be good, ''when we brought Commander Hanji's body to the Corps, Levi seemed heart stricken. He wanted to know every detail which seemed out of place for him to do. Obviously, I couldn't disclose information until the time was right for it to not be confidential so I told him she was ambushed by Insurgents while researching taken land from outside Wall Maria.''

A white lie, but not completely wrong.

''Then he asked about you. He noticed you were gone and asked Eren about it to which he responded by saying that you were working with her on a secret experiment. Tell me, how much does Eren know?''

I didn't think I would be gone for almost three weeks, keep that in mind. ''That's it. All he knows is that I was working with Hanji.''

''I believe you. Now, in order to continue with our secrecy until we knew what to do with you and cool down the situation, I told Levi that you were with her but we didn't find your body.''

I...was speechless. ''You told him I was missing?''

''At the time, there was nothing else I could say. But Levi took it too far for I told him to come up with a story until we decided, or at least I hope to decide, when you would come back.''

''He told them all I was dead.'' There was no dancing around the subject, Levi is a harsh man molded by a cruel world where anyone could drop with the flick of a coin. He is one of the most respected men within the walls but one of the most feared. No one is willing to question him with the reward of getting a kick to the jaw, and then some.

He nodded. ''He told your fellow squadmates that you were missing in action and that, so far, there was no recovery mission planned until there was a confirmation. He said you were most likely dead and that they should prepare a cremation for you as well.''

Have you ever been dead before? No, not like Eren dead but the world thinking you were dead and you have to hear it. If you have, tell me how to react because I'm drawing blanks. The Survey Corps camp, I could see it from where I was. The people moving around, having bonfires, some people were playing a lutte. I'd imagine Sasha playing hers to herself, pretending to make up songs, usually food oriented, with Connie smacking on a few drums, holding a private concert for me and the rest of the Levi Divison sans Levi.

Somewhere between Mikasa & Eren getting together & Connie's injury, we all had the time of our lives, telling jokes, going to shops. We'd kill a few Titans here and there. It's funny how much of a joke they've become since the creation of the Homo-Titanus and since Eren learned to control his Titan form.

One time, Jean snuck into the Officer's pantry and stole an experimental liquid (which was wine) and started passing it out to everyone except he kept most of it for himself because it tasted like eggs. He got so drunk he was dared by Eren to knock on Levi's door and serennade him with one of Connie's songs. I don't remember if he stopped with, ''You are my everything'' or ''I'd give you my bone, my Mutt'' before he was kicked through a wall.

I could see exactly where the pantry was from where I was actually. Did...my vision get better too? I blinked a few times and waved my hand around to make sure I was okay. ''Commander?''

''Yes, Armin?'' He looked at me weird.

''Can you see the Pantry door from here?''

The Commander came closer to me and looked out the window, squinting. ''I know where the pantry is but I can't see the door from here. No one ca-''

He stopped upon realizing I could.

''I can see Eren & Mikasa near one of the bonfires. They're cuddling next to each other, it's not a loving one.''

''That's your cremation. They couldn't find you, so they threw your clothes in there.''

''Yeah, I can see Jean throwing them.'' He never looked that sad since Marco died, Sasha was by his side, even Connie was wheeled to it, face draped by his growing hair, a beard becoming more prominent. ''Why are you doing this to them? Doing this to me?

''As tough as this must be, Historia says it is for the greater good. With my reluctance, I am inclined to agree.'' He rest his hand on me. ''Shadis will explain further and perhaps you'll understand,'' I shoved his hand off my shoulder in a bout of frustration, as much as I shouldn't have did that, it's what I wanted to do.

''If it helps, Eren nor Mikasa believe that you're truly dead at least. A few days after your 'disappearance', someone walked in to your room and took your books. Both, especially Eren, want answers to who did it. Take that with what you will.''

He uttered good luck to me and left me in my silent rage. I wanted to slam the doors shut from the window, get them out of my sight but how could I? Is this faith's way punishing me for saying yes to Hanji or trusting Eren too much by telling him a little...

A more horrifying thought came to my mind, if it wasn't for me, Hanji would still be alive. If I was faster or if I said no, maybe she'd still be alive and I would be with my friends again and...

''Corporal Arlert, we have much to discuss.'' Commander Shadis...

''Erwin & Historia talked about the greater good. I've lost my life, my friends think I'm dead, Hanji is dead all because of me. Please tell me this greater good was worth that much.''

I think I've sacrificed enough.

''Will you quit sulking? What I & Hanji had in mind for this project, you, is greater than you crying about how much you've lost!''

''Not of my own choice, mind you.''

''I'm not going to bother slapping you, it's useless to try.'' He's right, a knife nor a sword can cut me. A slap would feel like a bread crumb. ''But I'll tell you this right now is that the Titans, in a matter of weeks, perhaps monthes, will be the least of humanity's problems.''

''What will be worse than the Titans?'' Something worse than rampaging beasts that destroyed my home, killed families, ruined lives?

''Humanity itself.''

''Come again?''

''Tell me, how much crime do you think happens within the walls?''

I didn't have an answer for him, so I shrugged.

''More than what the Military Police is capable of responding to. I've spent too much time trying to clean up that godforsaken cesspool of a brigade that everyone else had to suffer. Currently, human trafficking is one of the highest problems within the city with no one to stop it.''

''So you want me to join the Military Police?''

''No, I want you to lead the Human Defence Division.''

L-lead? ''Well I've been called a tactical genius but I don't think I'm ready to...''

''By the time I'm done training you within the next month, you will be ready. I was initally skeptical to have you, a Survey Corps member, be the superhuman but if what you said is true about the fate of the insurgent, then I have been mistaken. You already have enough restraint to not kill someone even though you could. This is what humanity needs now more than ever.''

The greater good, to defend humanity. That's what I've been fighting to do. It's why, why I would like to say, I took the formula. Hanji wanted this the entire time, she wanted me to protect mankind from itself after the Titans fell. I've been thinking too selfishly recently. I wanted to be better and now I need to take up my arms. Hanji, I hope you're watching, wherever you are.

''I was never going back to the Survey Corps, was I?''

He shook his head to put it bluntly. ''The Titans are almost dead. Be prepared for humanity's dark side to open up.'' He turned around to prepare to leave the room before saying one last thing.

''Get some rest. Come tomorrow, meet me at the former Anti-Personnel Divison Manor. You won't get much rest after that. Check your attitude at the door too.''

I whispered sorry, not like it meant much to someone not there. He was right, I needed to toughen up. Eren did, Mikasa did, Jean did, now it's my turn.

-Present Time-

I had said that I wouldn't see my friends for a month and I was right, they never saw me in some fashion for another month. Today, I still miss them knowing who I am, talking to me and knowing I'm alive in front of them without the lie I told them to keep their spirits that one day, they will.

Regardless, the thought of them not knowing doesn't hurt me. What did hurt me was what I felt like I betrayed them in some way when I saw a small light grey item encircle one of...was it Eren's or Mikasa's...either way, that night I learned that they had proposed to each other long before, whether they married or not at that point was mere speculation. I speculated that they did and I abandoned my place as Eren's best man.

I've dreamed many a-night wondering how I would make up to them. One time, I thought I did but I realized it was nothing compared to what they've done for me. I promised one day I would to only the dancing maidens in the darkness before I slept.

To this day, I feel I've done nothing worthy for their forgiveness.

My training, on the other hand, took the better part of three weeks to train in. Due to my increased senses and, from what I could tell, a better memory than I normally had, I was able to master Shadis' non-lethal martial arts training in the matter of a week. He had trained me in hand-to-hand, weapon's disabling, how to deal with kidnappings, and an emphasis on restraint.

The Human Defence Division had a strong emphasis on life conservation when it existed at first, strongly to the point that any direct death from the hands of a HDD was punishable by, at first, meeting the family of the departed to tell them what you did, with the worst being thrown into the prison. Why it disbanded was the same as the reason it was around.

Several citizens weren't happy when people broke out of the prisons by undisclosed reasons and demanded the criminals be punished with death. This brought in the Anti-Personnel Division until Shadis believed that the last thing the world needed was more death among its own kind. Something many of the Corps all over the walls could agree with. They were, very reluctantly, disbanded and were warranted for arrests after finding out they had killed innocents, especially Kenny Ackerman.

Just saying his name gave me chills.

One last demand of the HDD was that your identity is meant to be hidden to protect your loved ones. Keeping criminals alive meant that they or others may want revenge. In my case, this was true because any one of the 104 were loved ones, two of which my surviving family. I had another reason. Because of the strange circumstances of my disappearance, the Royal Committee demanded my name be a secret until they can come to a consensus unto when I can be 'found' in an unchecked forest, fighting insurgents and feasting on rodents.

I ended up changing that story to a different one, but I'll get to that eventually.

For now, I have two stories left in me before my good friend comes back and tries to break me: My name & my weapon.

Now, my name Mashiga is an amalgram, as you could guess, of Maria & Shigashina. I ended up coming up with it when I was given my file from Shadis late one night with my real named blacked out which displayed my new file and my new merits:

Name: -

Rank: Corporal, now Captain

From: Wall Maria, Shiganshina

Scale (1-10, E for Eren):

Strength - 10

Reflexes - 8

Endurance - E

Intelligence - 10

Tenacity - 9

Speed - 9 (without 3DMG)

Teamwork - N/A

Comments: Captain -, formerly Corporal -, has shown a great increase in all statistics, likely from a mixture of years serving with the Survey Corps & the Hanji Formula, may her body rest. His thoughts are still a problem that hinders his physical abilities in the matter of reflexes and speed. I feel he can do more than what he has shown, but he needs to be forced to do it in some way. I declare him fit for duty for the HDD and promote him to the rank of Captain under my command.

-Commander Keith Shadis, Military Police''

I remember it too perfectly, down to the last stroke of ink, ink that smeared the upper part of the page that left in my homeplace, Ma...Shiga...

I couldn't think of a better name to use for the time being because I would be carrying the spirit of those who had fallen in Wall Maria alive as well as Shigashina in respect to my friends who had lost so much. It was a good start, I thought.

As for my weapon, I had recieved it from Shadis as a gift for graduating and I would start one last thing within the large Manor, which I had failed to speak of of it's luxarious beauty and gloriously large and fertile fields, begging to be groomed. That was the place of my training and my life. I was to be trained in Shieldsmanship on my own.

I asked why to him which he told me.

''This was Hanji's last gift to you. Keep it as a remnent to her.''

The shield was a beige colour made of a type of metal as strong as steel, if not stronger, but extremly versatile. It had taken shots from shotguns and rifles, a punch and a kick from a Titan, as well as a Titan's razor sharp teeth and it still feels no suffering to its make. The paint, which carrys a strange Runic symbol on its center, which I later discovered was the symbol for Hope, surronded by three rings that was meant to symbolize Maria, Rose, & Sina. There was also a small inscription in Oriental on the back of the shield, drawn in quill. It said:

''This is your moment now, never give up, & believe in mankind.''

I could throw it and it would come back to me after a ricochet or two, somedays I had to go after it. Its smack made a vibrational sound on my forearm, when I strike someone with it, it could knock them out with blunt force but nothing lethal as long as I only put a little bit of force on it. I don't know that for certain, but I like to be careful.

No one dies on my watch, a promise I wish I could've kept.

Since then, I had felt Hanji was watching over me in some way.

Until today, it, Hanji's last gift, had never left my back or my hand along with the gauntlets and cestus I use with it. I can still feel the locket dangle around my neck. At least I have that.

*Crash*

I'll be back in an hour, give or take twenty minutes.

/

Any mythology used was modified for the story, especially Sigmund's.


	4. A Personal Hobby

A.N: Forgive me if I accidently Mary Sued Armin, that was not nearly my intent but allow me to commence an experiment.

I will switch this to 3rd person once it enters the Not so present time.

Please review & give constructive critique to tell me how to make this story better for you, and FYI I do have a habit of making my stories wordy. I am trying to reduce on it, haha.

On with the show!

Chapter 4: A Personal Hobby

-Present Time-

How...how long...since I was...

''Three hours, Arlert.'' A concealed voice told me. Three hours, I was knocked out for. I taste the blood from my upper lip, drip into the hinds of my front teeth. It's not a refreshing taste, but it confirmed a thought: I've been deprived of sunlight for several days.

Much longer than two, but not long enough where I can't heal given time. I'd break these cuffs like they were wet cardboard if it were only two days.

Not like my kidnapper would know, the scars and sores on my face have healed. I wouldn't be able to tell you for sure if they only scabbed over but that slight sting that would come from touching the thin dark veil around my head would aggrevate me further. That was absent.

Whoever this guy was, he, assuming he was a he, was starting to frustrate me. This isn't a hostage situation, too dangerous and too smart. No simple kidnapper trying to steal money from the kingdom or some lowly merchant on his last legs would be stupid enough to kidnap me and expect it to go well. He was smart enough to keep me in a lightless area and smart enough to know that certain metals could penetrate my body. He was either trying to get rid of me or keep me away from something.

''Why do you have me here, what are you trying to do, kill me? Because if you're going to try, you have me in the perfect place.'' I couldn't hear anyone else, it was me & whoever this was.

I felt their cold leather hands grab my throat, not tightly, but enough to show they're trying to provide pressure, make a statement. ''How many times have you died, Arlert?''

''T-too m-an-y to co-ount.''

''Alright, you seem like a sentimental fuck. How many people died trying to protect you, keep you breathing?''

-2 Monthes & 19 days ago-

To count how many people he believes protected him over the years were too many to count, and too late to thank for what they did. Most of them died trying to preserve, as how the commanders said, his genius tactical ability. The only ones living, he could never thank. Not as long as Armin is meant to be dead or missing for the time being.

Such is the curse for someone who had found himself to have a, now, perfect memory. Arlert, before Mashiga, found his weeks under the training of Commander Shadis to be easy compared to his original days in the Academy in a physical sense. Every exercise didn't involve much extra work or stress to accomplish. The only thing he had to worry about was the force brought upon his strikes and grabs, so not to create great damage to the person, in this case, Shadis himself who wanted to show him how to handle any situation first hand. Hand-to-Hand training was not a test of strength, reflexes, or endurance, but a test of restraint and self control.

Too soft a strike and the opponent wouldn't feel a thing. Too hard from his hand could cause one's skull to cave in, or so he thought. It needed to be a sweet window, not light to never open it on a warm spring day, but not to break it and wake anyone around.

For the man can bend and break steel with a thought invoked through his nerves, preservation of life was a chore for his body, but not without its merit, one being the easing of his conscience. To Armin, it was a noble task worthy of any romance or fairy tale.

On an emotional state, it was much harder and much more demoralizing. Yes, Shadis would try his insults every single day on him as if he were like any other disciple with hopes to protect his loved ones from the Titan horde, or join the Military Police thinking it was a cushy job like it once was. That was all he could do to him, physically Shadis was completely inferior to Armin, and he knew that.

Shadis never looked at him with awe, but awe for Hanji for being able to transform him from a #28 to a specimen of human perfection. The rest of him was still everyday Armin. Humanity was always standing toe-to-toe with a physically superior creature in the Titans and they had those giant beasts on the run, desperate to see another day; the beautiful irony.

Armin slept no joyful nights or never day dreamt in the sun's empowering presence without thinking of who he wanted to protect with his new found gifts, such was a curse as well. It is because of his gifts that he is not legally allowed to go see his friends, the only family he had left. He thought about those he had failed to protect, those who protected him and lost their lives in the process.

Even if they didn't protect him directly, he still felt great guilt over their deaths. Tomas, Marco, Levi's group, he could add Eren's first death to the list of people that died for him, &, of course, Commander Hanji, the scientist who made him her walking legacy. The most brilliant mind of their generation, lost out of curiousity.

One more death came to him in a nightmare. T'was not foreboding or a summoning of some sinister future but the echoes of a desperate scream from a man afraid of his life to what he saw before him: The Insurgent. Armin never discoverd his name, if he had children, a family, friends, living parents, he didn't want to know. He knew his cause and that he was responsible for his death. His hand never touched the hilt of the blade, he might as well have shoved it directly into his neck.

As far as Armin thought, he was to blame.

Perhaps he had stayed up too many nights overthinking or maybe this state of overthinking will make it easier for him to control his gifts. Only he would know for the time being.

During his final days of initial training before he took up the shield, he learned a way to cope with his nightmares that brought him to a feat of tears. Commander Shadis who knew well of what he was going through, handed him a pencil and paper and to write to himself. Shadis made it VERY clear that Armin were to keep it to himself, what was troubling him.

''Guys like us, we need to pull our own weight. We can't give others little pieces of the crap when they got their own shit to deal with.''

Oh, and Armin did write, or should I say draw. Yes, he drew the still picture-like images in his mind of the horrific deaths that he encountered and the people, dear friends, family he had lost to the Titans along the way, sometimes people. He drew people, scenes of a memory, landscapes, and his dreams of seeing the outside world.

His firstwork, which took him the better park of a dusk to finish, was an ocean view with the sun rising. Armin, like everyone within the walls, knew not of what the ocean looked like or if it existed, instead he drew when he believed it looked like. What his visualization looked like, I could not say for he kept all of his drawings to himself, never to leave his lone barrack. Unless you were sent to the presence of Captain Mashiga, you would never gaze upon his drawings.

Since that day, he had drawn several pictures with an artistry of a painter in the prime of his life. The first two pictures, of Eren's first death & the Insurgent's Suicide, graced his closet to be viewed by dust bunnies while only the third graced his drawer for his eyes only every day to remind him of what he was fighting for when it seemed at its darkest.

Drawing made Armin's life more livable.

-Present Time-

...More...livable...

I uttered the only answer I could from my mouth that made sense. ''Too many.''

The hold was released, I tried to fill my lungs with as much air as I could hold.

''Right, too fucking many.''

He left quietly and slammed the door, I heard a small noise drop not far from where he was, fall on a small bolt on the floor.

I tried to find that lemon pine scent again from before. The only scent that caught me was fresh red wine that wasn't there originally.

I checked my chair again as soon as I could catch my breath, I pushed my cuffed hands a little to make as little noise as I could until I noticed that distinct 'thunk' noise. This chair was bolted to the floor.

I was in a cellar like before, it was dark.

It could've been light while they he(?) was choking me but I didn't notice.

What I did notice that seemed out of place for a cellar was a strange 'clang' noise coming from somewhere else.

It reminded me of a hammer, smacking upon a steel blade . It was a noise I haven't heard since I left the Survey Corps...

I dragged my bare heel along the chair where the bolt was planted into the chair. The icey cold bolt was stuck into the chair tight, but there were several nubs, former holes along the leg...

This explained why no one was coming to save me. If Shadis and his MPs were trying to find me, they wouldn't and for the time I've been here, I was trying to find a logical reason why they couldn't, and I finally knew...

I was being moved around the walls.

(/)

Yeah, this one is shorter.

This story may be a little longer than 5-8 chapters as I expected. With this one, I think I bumped it up to about 9 or 10. I'm trying to keep it not too long while being interesting, so feel free to R&R and help me make this story better.

Until next time, good night & good luck.


	5. The First Day

Chapter 5: The First Day

-2 Months & 15 days before Present Time-

Most days within the walls were beautiful. The sun shone over the walls for those who'd look towards them in the morning. Live far enough away and you can watch the night sky be overtaken by the glorious warmth of sun rise.

It rarely got cold except at nightfall and during the winter months, but no snow touched the grass of any fertile farmland or garden found in the Walls in many years, or at least in Armin's memory.

He had read books about the snow, which tied with the Legends of the Norse he had learned about out of curiousity of the Runic alphabet on Hanji's locket and the message it pertained. Diciphering the message became more and more of an impossibility through Shadis' training and his attempt at mastering the art of the shield; Hanji's last gift to him.

Most of the books on warfare he had found had plenty of notes on martial arts pertaining to swords, spears, halberds, rifles, shotguns, and something called a sling. Shields were tied in with swords or daggers on a page and were only used to defend the self from harm of another swordsmen; the most famous pairing known to him was with a gladius.

This meant that whatever Armin wanted to learn about how to use the interesting shield he now held in his hands, throwing it at a bunch of dummies made out of rags and hay with a steel plate behind the rags, had to be self-taught. The shield would ricochet off of the plate, unto another, finally hitting the last one, and would return back to Armin, who started wearing shield blocker gauntlets to training, whether under Shadis' orders or his own.

In theory, this would work if he threw it at the right angle, straight as an arrow, at a steady velocity, and while he stood still. Armin had been up for three hours since the first rooster's cockle, practicing shield throwing after having breakfast and drawing another day dream. This time, it was the shield he used with a drawing of Hanji's message in Runic on the shield; a picture from his perfect memory. Within those minutes he drew it, he felt like someone was watching him; anticipation for Hanji's survival, honour for Shadis, and desperation for Eren & Mikasa. It was nothing, but a cold breeze from his window. For him, he felt Hanji was guiding his hand as he drew, yelling at him about how obvious the message was to her, and pushing him to use the shield instead of draw it.

Armin chuckled to himself. ''I'm curious too.'' He reared the shield back and threw it with a moderate amount of might, for all his might was not enough for the shield to break a human torso, it was enough to bend a hayman over.

*Ting*

It smacks the first hayman, knocking it over while the shield smacked the second hayman, bringing itself towards the final 'person' before coming back towards Armin.

The first time he tried this, he underestimated, or never realized, how fast the shield was going relative to his location. Losing focus was a dangerous thing to do in battle and in training. The strange alloy the shield was made of smacked Armin across the head, knocking him down. No bruise was left, the pain was there for a split second.

This, the ninth time today, he catched the shield with expert reflexes on the rim of the shield in a close case of precognitive thought or some supernatural interference screaming to do it, ''Now!'' Armin wiped the sweat coming from his brow. A strange action to do considering he wasn't tired. Suffering fatigue was a distant memory due to the exact same influences that made him the way he was.

3DM gear, he was about on par with Eren or Connie in his prime, not that he could test that comparison out for differing reasons. It seemed too easy to manuever around a forest as long as he didn't think too hard about anything except where he was going. The fear of falling down upon several branches in the heavily forested area around the manor beyond the training field of a backyard and the garden surronding the outter rims of it.

A new hobby of his was gardening. The first flower he planted were white lotus, a small white flower with a yellow center along the eastern part of the large yard. He found seeds within the one of the dens near the Manor and remembered, from a book of Norse history, of these kinds of flowers existing in a county in the Norse lands. To him, gardening brought him peace and a form of requiem for Hanji besides his mission and the shield.

''Captain Mashiga!''

Armin forgot that was his name now and delayed a moment before coming to attention with the shield around his arm.

''Commander Shadis!'' The bald commander walked up with purpose towards the now-Captain. A string of nervousness itched itself along the spine of Armin as each step he took grew closer to him until he was looking eye-to-eye with the stern man who wore uncanny armor, especially for someone who was only seen in the outfit of the Military Police or Instructor gear.

''Mashiga? It sounds like a weapon. I imagined a name like that would benefit a shield greater than a bob headed Rhino turd.'' Shadis remembered the irony of the weapon sound it made. When Hanji first suggested the idea, Shadis asked her if they were making a 'human weapon' to which Hanji quickly replied, almost seriously, that this person won't be a weapon; humanity had enough of those.

''Mashiga in an amalgram, sir. It is for Maria & Shigashina, my birth home. The shield has no name for it is an extension of myself!''

''Maria & Shigashina, well you better not be like that town because the military won't try to save you from the Titans. Where's your armor? The Royal Committee nor I will tolerate you going out on your first patrol with that face for the public to see, after they finish puking and screaming in horror.''

As harsh as that was, it was true. Armin had to wear armor and a helmet to keep his identity a secret. Truth be told, he lost track of time while training. As soon as he got the chance and given the vulgar order, he stormed and jumped into the center window of the manor, climbing up the sill for the rest of the way. This was Armin's office, his bedroom, and his artroom. It had a perfect view of the garden and the sun as well as the forest that surronded them.

The location was far enough away that it was out of the way from the hustle & bustle of city life, but not far enough that he could emerge with the speed of a wolverine to the closest city being Trost. With a steady jog, he would be in Trost in two minutes. With his horse, nicknamed by the breeder as The King's Pin for its racing ability, he may as well teleport.

The room itself had a large desk overlooking the window, five bookcases next to each other to the left & to the right, almost littered with books and maps. There was one special shelf of the case half full that supplied books from his old life, the only book taken out was Camelot which laid aloft the table. The bed sat along the left of the door, the only space of the wall not covered by a bookcase or art, to which the only art he considered presentable hung above the window, mostly scenary from the outside or pieces of what he believed was snow or the ocean. The desk had a few drawers which contained the painting Armin considered has 'The Motivation to Keep Going.' For the sake of secrecy and honoring his thoughts, I dare not say to you until he is ready.

His clothes and armor were in the first closet close to the desk, opening showing the armor, a beige-golden colour with straps around the helmet for his chin and covered most of his head except his mouth, chin, the closest ends of his cheeks, and his eyes. The armor, besides the forearms and hands which were present for the Shield Blocker Gauntlets and Cestuses, glimmered in the sunlight, the shoulders and chest were reinforced while the legs was sturdy enough to provide protection while thin to be able to use 3DM gear whenver he needed. The helmet sloped down the back, making it less bulky and more head-like, sleek.

He placed his shield down on the desk and readied his armor to wear. The only issue with putting it on was that Armin had to put his hair in a ponytail or tuck it in to his helmet to make sure his blond locks never poked out. Besides that, the armor didn't take long to prepare and put on. He tightened it as hard as he could so it was like another part of him before jumping outside the window with his 3DM around his legs and shoulders. Not like he needed it, he can survive this fall.

''Captain Mashiga, are you ready for your first patrol!?'' Shadis growled at the now armored and almost unrecognizable Captain Mashiga to which he replied, in salute with his shield on his heart,

''Yes, sir!''

''You better be! Prepare your stead for we must ride to a town just north of Trost. There is a pressing manner we must attend to.'' He commanded, putting on a black balaclava on which hid everything except his eyes.

''That would work if your eyes weren't so recognizable.'' Armin thought to himself, pondering on if he should suggest him to wear glasses with a dim lens. Anyone that was a soldier or is would figure out he was Shadis without question from his eyes alone.

''What are you staring at?'' He questioned Mashiga, noticing him quickly move away from his gaze as they ascended upon their horses, galloping away from the Manor's fences, towards the town.

Whatever snicking Shadis didn't hear, won't hurt him.

-10 minutes later-

In the history of a civilization long past, whenever a hero and their battilion returned to their home capital after a great victory beyond their borders, there would be a party relegated for their honour. Flowers were thrown, drinks were taken, orgies were a standard if you wanted to be a part of one. The entire city was thrust into overjoy and celebration for the glory of their country, their city, and thier people. Any animousity was washed away into a sea of pleasure.

What Armin recieved with Shadis and two Military Police Officers was the complete opposite of those from that era. The two officers recieved wore their standard clothing, holding nervous faces galloping behind the two costumed higher-ups, not that the officers knew the identities of either men, one had an inquiry to recognizing Shadis' eyes.

The citizens gazing towards the figures couldn't fathom who they were or what they were wearing, but they knew they had a tickle in their stomach when they passed by towards their destination.

Armin felt odd with the reception he recieved, not that he expected a better reception. It was better than what he expected to be; nothing at all. Shadis gave him a reaffirming nod, as if to say, ''they'll learn.''

The Anti-Personnel Division's reputation was one based on fear. Do wrong, and you could lose your head in a manner of moments for a matter incoherent. Armin didn't want to impose fear on people who didn't do anything wrong. Gripping his shield tighter, he speculated he'll only give laughter to the hearts of everyone.

''You two, you have your orders. Captain, you're with me.'' Shadis commanded Armin out of his stupour, descending from their horses and finding themselves looking towards a moderately sized cottage in the middle of a small market district within the town. The cottage was nothing out of the ordinary for Wall Rose. There were no delapitations or moss grown from the walls, however there was a strange amount of darkness inside the cottage from a small crack of the white curtains behind the windows. Stroking his strapped chin, Armin's curiousity about why they were here grew.

Armin stood up to Shadis as he pointed the Police to take both sides of the narrow road, keeping civillians away from near the cottage. ''Commander, what ar-''

Shadis silenced him with a finger to his masked mouth. He spoke quietly, ''Not so loud. Do you want them to be alerted?''

Armin, embarrased, changed his voice accordingly. ''Understood, sir. What are we doing here?''

''It's been reported by brigadiers and neighbors during the night that a kidnapping had taken place here. A small family of four live here but a group of men came out to check the door whenever one would knock. We're here to investigate.''

''Understood, sir.''

''This situation may get problematic. Remember this is your test, keep your cool.''

He nodded, providing an intense face, straightening his back with the shield on his right forearm. Holding his breath as he stood next to Shadis who knocked on the door with two loud smacks.

Armin quickly noticed a quick movement of the curtain to his right. His eyes widened at the sight of the brief glimmer of a small silver object from the crack. In all likelihood, there were armed men inside unless the father lived a lavish lifestyle where he could afford pure silver belt buckles.

_''Out of place for someone living in Wall Rose.''_ Armin thought, expecting a dangerous situation.

The door opened slowly leaving a foot sized gap between them and a man with stern blue eyes and unkempt stubble. He kept his hand on the door to the outside, strangling the wood it was made of, trying to intimitate the two men before him. ''What do you want?''

Shadis took over much of the talking. ''Good evening, we are members of the Military Police and we are here to search these premises.''

''No thanks.''

The gun's terror brought Armin worry that Shadis, being a Commander for monthes and an Instructor for years, haven't seen combat too recent enough to know how to handle it. Such is the good thing about knowledge, you will never know everything.

Before the suspicious man could close the door, Shadis quickly grabbed his exposed hand from the door and pulled him out with the force of an elephant pulling a part a man's arm in the way the prior civilization would train them for. ''I wasn't asking.'' Shadis retorted, gazing above the fallen man cradling his hand, his shoulder in an awkward position.

''Captain, check the cottage. I'll detain this Titan fodder.'' Armin nodded, keeping his shield tightly to him, nervously moving his hand on the door and opening it.

_''I can break swords with my hand, but rifles have an intense amout of velocity. Could that break my skin?''_ Armin pondered on the weapon's ability as he looked through the living room. He seemed small and humble like any other family home. What was out of place were two subtle things most normal humans would miss, well one in truth for anyone who walked into the door could find the rotten smell whip them across the face. It was close by.

However that smell could be ignored because of the whimpering from somewhere in a lower level. Small enough to be ignored unless your senses were better than normal. He had no time to focus on this new found ability, there were people who needed protection. He ran, which in retrospect he would regret doing for alerting people from under the floorboards. Running to find the people.

He checked the bedrooms, finding nothing before finding a small piled-up barricade of chairs and a broken table before a door that could easily be avoided if he didn't see the small glow of the knob. The house was completely dark with the curtains, the house was covered with them on the windows.

Armin tried to move the barricade, relatively easy to lift, as slowly as possible to not alert the people downstairs, his first time thinking critically since entering the cottage. He opened the door, finding a low staircase shrouded in darkness along with large dark drapes covering the end. He readied his shield in front of him, grasping his breath with his throat.

He placed a slow foot on the first step, making sure he can feel the step before descending so not to tumble and fall down. The stairs were in good shape, not making a noise, but the whimpering was becoming louder and louder.

*Ka-kunk*

His approach hastened with the sound of the cocking of a rifle, jumping down the stairs outside the curtain. The view was a horrific situation for a first beat. There were two children; a brother and a sister who couldn't be any older than 10, and a young male who had to be their father being captured by a man with a knife on her throat. One more man was there, armed with ,what he hypothesised to be, a rifle more specifically a Winchester lever action. A rifle is a rifle, no matter how outdated it was compared to the LEs.

Armin stood with his shield, looking towards the barrel of a gun, feeling angst towards the father in his situation, two criminal kidnappers, and children who don't need to see any blood. If he did nothing or made the wrong move, their fates were sealed.

The armed kidnapper laughed through his poor teeth. ''What the fuck am I looking at?''

''This guy thinks he's a knight.''

''Don't knights usually have swords?''

''I'm seein' his gear and he only got a shield. Kiddo, just walk away lest ye wanna have a bullet to the brain.''

They didn't take him seriously. They treated him like a kid. This aggrevated him, teeth clinched, and his other hand placed on his shield. He waited for them to finish their taunting.

''Do ya think he'll do anythin?''

''Hell no, he's an MP. Most of them can be bought. Here, musclehead! leave us alone and we'll give ye a cut,'' he flashed his dagger to the father's eyes, giving him a scare, ''from what these deadbeats owe. What's that, about 300?''

''300.''

''300!''

''I won't leave until I know those three can.'' Armin mumbled, to what the kidnapper scratched his head with the hilt of a knife. This was his chance.

Before he could ask, ''What did ye say?'' Armin threw the shield vertically towards the kidnapper, smacking and knocking the man out, dropping his knife onto the ground. The father dived toward his children. The shield ricocheted off of the man's head.

''You piece of shite!'' The kidnapper aimed his rifle at Armin, firing a round at him where Armin found another discovery. He could see the bullet and where it was going. Obviously towards him, but most people who've fired a rifle had said that they couldn't see where the round was going during the firing. Armin, on the other hand, now could.

He jumped to the side and caught his shield. The kidnapper shot another round, but the shield deflected it off, causing the round to fall aimlessly crushed on the floor. With a quick thought, he punched the man, knocking him down causing him to drop the rifle. The man fell down towards the brick cellar's wall as Armin raised his shield and broke the Winchester in half, gazing at the culprit.

''Surrender and turn yourself in.'' He ordered him, almost sounding unrecognizable from the normal Armin, with a more profound and deeper voice. The adrenaline from the situation may have forced Armin to deepen his voice to a sound more standard for a worthy Captain. The kidnapper was on his last legs, desperate.

With a violent howl, he lunged at Armin with a thin stiletto in his hand, well hidden under the sleeve of his shirt. A strong grasp caught the would-be murderer by the wrist, applying enough pressure to sprain his wrist, disarming him in the process and uttering a scream.

The situation was controlled and all that was left was to immbolize the criminals and make sure the family was safe. After cuffing them both with a small amount of rope. The still concious kidnapper struggled for a moment, uselessly.

_''I...I did it, they're all alive. Everyone was..''_ Armin thought before looking at the family, still solemn to themselves. A father, a son, a daughter...''Where's the mother?''

-Present Time-

The mother was dead.

According to the story of the Father, a capable man from a farming family similar to the Mother, she tried to fend off one of the men, the man that Shadis ripped out the door and was killed for her troubles. And I wish that was all he did.

When that monster was ''done'' with her, he'd put her back in the closet hoping no one would notice the smell. All for a lousy 300 dollars they owed a merchant. I never imagined I would dispise merchants as much as Mikasa did, but here was one willing to send men to annex their house by force.

Money; what a worthless reason to kill anyone. Right next to vengeance.

Not all merchants were like that, and vengeance would dictate I'd arrest them all.

When I walked out of that cottage and we transported the Mother out for a funeral behind the backyard, I tried to comfort the family. The children were scared of me at first, perhaps it was the armor or everything that happened. I held out my hand to them both and told them that they were safe now.

Ha, ha.

I laughed a little remembering how over-protective the son was over his sister. He made sure to put his hand out to me before she could, then he held her hand kindly and placed it close to his. Captain Mashiga was a hero to them. It took me a while to focus on that.

At first, I was pissed. If I had come sooner, the Mother would've still been alive, a man would have his wife, and two children would still have a Mom. I was a failure in that. I saw the man with the seperated shoulder being cuffed with the two other men we captured to the wagon. A part of me wanted him particularly to suffer more but I couldn't do anything if I wanted to. I despised him, I wanted him to suffer. Death would've been too much as I bit my tongue from the concept. Sure, Titans were monsters that've destroyed cities, families, and lives, but who am I to tell a man if he deserves death? I've seen death firsthand and all of it seemed so needless; it was unnesscessary because these people had hopes, dreams, and loved ones. The people I arrested today had the same. They skewed off the path too far, yet hope existed for them in some way.

Shadis knew how I was feeling after that when I was away from the family. On the ride to Wall Sina he told me bluntly, ''I know what you're thinking and you need to stop that. As much as you want to save everyone, you can't, not always. And doing things like these are less likely, but you managed to keep the HDD's mission alive: protect the innocent, cease crime, and keeping our hands clean. You did all of that today. That's a victory for us'.''

I kept that in mind while I arrested the merchant when we got there, selling his wears and giving out loans to people who were placed in desperate eyres after we interrogated the conscious prisoners. Even that wasn't enough, but I knew what to do when I got back to the manor.

I remembered catching a glimpse of a small portait of the family in a happier time. A replica hung along my wall ever since that day. They managed to bounce back and the Father continued to be a farmer. The children though, something about them made me feel peculiar, as if I saw them before many years ago in a different time.

Someone like...

There I go again, being a sentimental fuck; seeing Eren & Mikasa everywhere.

Wherever they are, them, Jean, Sasha, Connie, hell even Levi, I hoped they were all still alive & well. They must be doing better than me right now.

-2 months & 13 days before Present Time-

The Sina Times (pg. 2)

The Return of the HDD as a Face

Two days ago, a small town outside of Trost within Wall Rose had felt a tragedy with the recent death of Sonja Cousland (nee Koba), a wife, mother, and farmer, by the hands of three mercenaries of a merchant outside Wall Sina when they annexed the house in the middle of the night.

Any further tragedy was stopped by the hands of the recently reformed Human Defence Division of the Military Police, led by the oddly dressed Captain Mashiga, who, along with a mysterious man in a mask with a strange aura of fear from members of the army, and two military police officers, saved the remaining members of the family while detaining the three mercenaries and the merchant himself, who was discovered to be Thomas Cormac, a member of the wealthly Cormac family.

According to eye witnesses, this Captain Mashiga wielded no weapon besides a shield, had a very muscular frame, and seemed to care a lot about the family who had suffered. Augustus Cousland, the patriarch of the family and farmer himself, had this to say:

''Me and my children were scared for our lives until Mashiga came into our house. I blinked and those two monsters were knocked down. I could hardly believe what I saw, but I'm forever thankful for him. My son and my daughter play and argue who gets to be Mashiga for a game.''

Mrs. Cousland was buried in the family's backyard where she will fondly be missed.

Captain Mashiga nor his cohorts were able to come for questions on the scene or at the manor to which one of the MPs told us that Captain Mashiga was not avaliable for questions.

Commander Keith Shadis was asked about the newly resurrected HDD to which he said the following:

''The HDD is meant to be a civillain protection group in a time where crime is rampant and the people need a glimpse of hope from, not only the tyranny of the Titans, but from the monsters that've occupied their lands and made lives unbearable.''

When asked about the HDD's 'no kill' policy, he briefly said that, ''it answers for itself.'

We will have more updates on Captain Mashiga & the HDD as more news comes up.

...

Bickering in the Hospice (pg. 5)

Please note that all names are hidden to protect the identities of the people involved.

Earlier today, there was an altercation involving three people, 2 males and 1 female, in a hospice not far from Wall Rose. According to reports, a female had visited an injured friend to have a conversation and likely comfort him in his time of need. She had been in the hospice for about five minutes before nurses, patients, doctors, and denizens started to hear yelling. At this time, a door was slammed and another loud male voice entered, seemingly to protect the girl involved before a large argument started.

Members of the Military Police and the Survey Corps had to seperate the two after the invading male tried to drag the injured male out of his bed, possibly to attack him. The female was distraught about the events and ran out before any comments could be reported. The invading male was detained and brought to a 'safe place' while the injured male was checked on, yelling vulgarly about the man who had attacked him.

...

Where did all the Potatoes go? (pg. 8, panal 3)

Yesterday afternoon, it was discovered in one of the stockhouses of the Survey Corps that a large patch of potatoes went missing. This confusing story about who would steal potatoes was brought to the Survey Corps' attention where the only comments we were able to get came from Warrant Officer Levi Ackerman, who reported irritantly with a sigh that:

''I already have an idea who.''

When pressed further, the reporter had recieved a bruise to his abdomen for their efforts. They are not pressing charges on the respected Warrant Officer nor the Survey Corps.

);/_-_

Alright, this took my longer than I expected. I now have a legit plan for where I want this to go and you'll see it unfold and likely finish before the end of August, if not September.

R&R and provide constructive critique to help make this story better.

Until next time, good night & good luck.

P.S.: A huge thank-you to the two following my story. I'm glad you have been enjoying it so far and I hope that you'll continue to do so!


	6. Camelot: Enter Lance

A.N: I should've mentioned that my knowledge of the series is based mostly on the anime with littles bit of the Manga from after the anime left off. So I know certain aspects like Eren & Mikasa's 'moment' & the exchange arc along with King Fritz and Kenny, but I had no clue who Darius Zackley was nor did I know that Erwin lost his arm.

I will keep my story the way it is and I will say something about those last two things as the story progresses so I'm sorry if I confused anyone.

With that said, this chapter has been edited. Enjoy the show!

Chapter 6: Camelot pt.1: Enter Lance

-2 Months before Present Time-

The Sina Times (pg. 1)

Freedom for a Day

For the first time in two months, the Survey Corps had earned a day off after successfully taking down another Titan Breeding Ground approximately 75 kilometres away from Wall Maria.

With the risk of two lives lost and a carriage of horses, the Breeding Ground became a crater in the dirt with the ground forces led by Corporal Jean Kirschtein & Corporal Eren Yeager, in lieu of Warrant Officer Levi Ackerman's strange disappearance from the front early on where he later joined the battle with a large supply of the Homo-Titanus formula (Chemical Destabilizer).

It was reported by Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps that the Corps deserved a time to relax and enjoy the growing festivities of the cities of which they were stationed in. He had this to say:

''The life of a soldier is never an easy one. Anything can happen at anytime so it would benefit their spirits to try and visit the cities their protecting every now & again - remind them what they're fighting for.''

Of course, he mentioned that the Corps members could only go as far as Wall Rose because of where they are currently stationed and to not interfere with the rebuilding processes of the outer parts of Wall Maria which remain in construction.

Armin crushed the weekly paper into a crumbled up ball and threw it in the bin from his desk. It's been 15 days since he first became Captain Mashiga officially and every single day had been the same routine: Wake up at first light, eat, train, prepare for Shadis to arrive (which he stopped doing a few days ago because he wanted Armin to 'stop wasting his time when he can do it himself.'), patrol the cities on the King's Pin, keep an eye and ear out for any disturbances, stop any crime worth ceasing, protect anyone, and when the MP had a situation covered he would leave for the next one. He never returned to the Manor until the he patroled the walls one last time when the moon glowed.

Falling to sleep was a different story.

Many of those nights, he would be lucky to have a few hours of rest as long as his thoughts left him alone. Otherwise, up he went and drew again. A failed save or a nightmare; they ate at him until they were drawn. The last week, however, seen stranger tides; each drawing from the last week had a common theme: His friends. A common question rose to him if he missed them or if they missed him. It was a conflict of selfishness and selflessness; to ease his pain or ease theirs, as he expected they would.

Enough was enough. He slammed his hands on the desk, accidently causing it to have large dents on the lower side closest to his lap. Grinding his teeth and speaking in his ''Armin'' voice, ''They need to know I'm still alive.''

Armin had lost much in his life: his family, his grandfather's hat, his hometown, several friends; one way or another. It had been two months since he forcefully left the only family he had left. Being somewhere in Wall Rose tonight was the perfect time to let them know he was alive. They were his friends, he was sure they would keep his identity private. _''I'm not shouting to the Walls,''I am Mashiga!''. I just need to let them know I'm still alive..''_ He remembered how Eren felt when everyone thought he was dead. Shocked and desperate, he told Armin that the worst thing he could've done, in private, was to 'stay dead.'

He needed to keep his identity secret for the time being. Besides his obvious physical changes and perhaps the length of his hair, which was barely noticable, he still looked and acted like Armin. Someone would recognize him unless he disguised himself but not as Mashiga. That would generate too much attention from criminals and idolistic children alike. He remembered how the one's in the Leporact colonies, who loomed closer to the farthest forests of Wall Maria, dressed; everyday clothing with their whole body covered and wearing gloves. He needed something that concealing, minus the gloves.

Those who suffered from Leporact had scabs on their hands, their eyes were bloodshot red, and likely suffered a limp. Not many besides those in the medical field or the science division knew well what their faces looked like. Little horror stories over the campfire stated that their faces were horribly contorted, teeth rotten with a strange honey-like substance that smelt of rotten eggs. Their complexion grew paler & paler; their stature drew skinnier and skinnier like a moving skeleton, and that's for the weak ones. The stronger ones had their faces scarred for life and, by rumor, could spread the disease by eating the air around a populated area.

All that in mind, Armin decided to take the garb of a nomad, one's who journies all over the walls, but sleep outside of them to experience nature untouched. Most are seen as mad for venturing away from the Walls with the danger of being eaten or attacked by bandits. They take no home and are seen as well-built.

Their clothing, similar to the Leporacts, were garb that covered their entire upper bodies, usually Survey Corps or Garrison capes with a shroud covering their lower face. They were always armed with a sword not unlike the one's commisioned while others crafted custom ones closer to an angled blade of a desert make with 3DM gear always attached.

As uncomfortable as swords became for Armin to carry, he needed to make a charade. He took his former Survey Corps cape and placed the hood over his head. It was tighter than it used to be, so he cut bit of it around the neck with a small angled knife to make it looser and seem more worn. He tied a white scarf around his face before attaching his gear to himself. Attaching the small knife into an angled sheath tied around his belt, he remembered his books that Hanji took from his room, stopping his paces before the door.

_''They may not believe me at first. I need some proof.'' _Armin took a small knapsack and placed two of the books inside that could fit and wouldn't feel awkward to carry: The Origin of the Titans & Camelot. The latter was the last book Eren saw him reading, well attempt to read. The prior was large enough to keep the knapsack tight on his back.

All that was left was to bypass the guards stationed outside the gate. He decided to venture through the forest surronding the Manor away from the guards. If they heard him running, they'll probably think he's training.

Ignorance was bliss for opportunists..

Bypassing the branches while running at not his top speed but close was no simple venture. He needed to make sure his cloak wasn't too scrapped and his scarf kept his face unrelated to Armin or Mashiga as possible, lest questions were to be asked by curious minds. A close call from one sudden sharp branch only scraped the side of his dress shirt. It didn't do much besides provide a small breeze to his hip and make the disguise more believable.

Eventually he found himself outside of the forest and on the road to Trost from another city not far from where he was. The trick here was not to run too fast. Superhuman feats would easily alert the guards, amaze a few people, and catch the attention of the Royal Committee with time. His heart raced from the run, his thoughts quickly rushed through his head about seeing his friends or where they are, and he needed to walk slow or obtain a horse, something else that wasn't uncommon for a nomad to use. The King's Pin was asleep by now and too close to the guards. The land was too flat on the way to Trost and the forest would cease a quarter of the way there. He pondered on what to do next until he was interrupted by an experienced and kind voice.

''Hey there, fella.''

Suddenly his attention was drawn to a man in a carriage, slowing down.

''You're one of those nomads, aren't you?''

Armin tried to stifle his voice to something rugged, but not forced. Instead it came out with an accent native to the mountain lands a few miles away from Sasha's home. ''Y-yes.''

The elderly gentlemen with a strong smile and a good structure for someone of his age continued to speak to him. He wore a farmer's hat quite similar to the one Armin lost so many months ago. ''Where's your stead, my good man?''

''Poor...Tigrus broke her leg. There was not much I could do.''

''A shame, young man. Would you like a lift? I'm heading towards Trost so I can take you as far as the market district.''

Armin quickly took the man's offer and sat on the seat next to him, keeping his gaze away from him to hide his eyes. He nodded and the man readied his horses to move.

''What brings you here? I would've expected you folks would take up a tent and head off to the mountains outside Maria.''

''I'm visiting family.''

''Family, you say. People forget folks like you have those. Word around the town I'm from say you nomads have some deathwish, born from the misery and thrive in it.''

He simply nodded with each word the man said.

''Wanna know what I think? I think you guys are the most free out of all of us. No fear of those beasts, no fear of anyone! All you guys do is fight for a look at the night sky in fresh clean air on a night like this.''

Armin looked up slightly to his right and noticed the stars were out. It was a beautiful cocophony of dancing light. He remembered a story from the Norse about stars:

''The gods took the sparks and burning embers that were flying about after they had been blown out of Muspellheimr, and placed them in the midst of the firmament both above and below to give light heaven and earth. They gave their stations to all the fires, some fixed in the sky, some moved in a wandering course beneath the sky, but they appointed them places and ordained their courses.''

''That's a powerful way of putting it.'' The old man responded in awe to Armin's unknowingly spoken verse. ''What's a Mus-pell-heimer, exactly?''

He hid his gasp to come up with a suitable answer. ''Something a friend of mine knew.''

''You must've had a smart friend.''

''I did.''

''Speaking of family, I'm going here to visit mine. My little girl, her husband, and my grandkids. She married well., of course I gave him a hard time, why wouldn't I? Man's gotta be tough in this world; can't back down when the going gets rough. Then one day, he knocked on my door from here, walked here too, and told me, didn't ask me, told me that he was gonna take my girl's hand and he would like for me to be there when it happens.

Course, I should've been angry. The guy wanted to take my daughter away from me and replace her name with his. But you know what I did? I reached my hand at him and demanded he shake my forearm because he was the right guy to make my daughter happy. A father can only do so much for his children until they go off on their own. I was lucky I got to see her grow up and become the fine woman she became.

I passed her on and she had tears going through her eyes, telling me he loved him with all her heart and loved me more than she did before. My ribs still ache from the hug she gave me and that was almost ten years ago!''

10 years ago; 10 years ago was the happiest time in this man's life as it was for Armin and likely all his friends. One more year and he'd meet Mikasa, and one more year and he lost everyone. ''What a world.'' Armin muttered.

''What's that, kid? I was rambling on, I'm sorry. With everything that's happened in the last decade, it wouldn't hurt to have some good happen, ya know? Every day I see the sun rise and every day I get to be with my wife is a day worth remembering. You have any kids, there uhhh...?''

''My name is...Lance,'' in an effort to make up a name, he thought of one that seemed like the antithesis of Armin's being. Someone with great confidence no matter what he did and a strong nobility whose intelligence slaggered behind one of greater intelligence. ''And no, not yet.'' He never really thought about having kids. Even less so had he thought about being 'with' a woman. _''It never was worth thinking about.''_ Armin thought at the age of 18; a time where puberty was supposed to be at its peak. Initially, he did have innocent gentle thoughts about two girls in particular but fate as a way of telling Armin, ''No!'' because of their situations. He did notice that he liked blonds. Take that as a hint.

''Haven't found the right woman yet, I see. They'll change your life.''

Around this time, Armin began thinking that may be saying something cheeky wouldn't hurt. It could make his disguise more believable, like the way Connie would act. ''The woman or the children?'' He said in a cocky sense.

The old man laughed a little. ''Both, my boy. I'm Dennis, by the way, Dennis Agape.''

''Well met.'' Armin, or Lance, bowed his head to Dennis, further hiding his face.

-Six minutes later-

The rest of the trip featured the faux nomad with a sense of humour known as Lance and the traditional man Dennis Agape talk and make jokes about everything from adventures in farming to old Norse stories Armin had read many times before they came unto the topic of Camelot to which the man knew very well about before the eventful book burning almost 50 years ago, implemented by the Kingdom as a way to force people to be productive.

This gave Armin outrage of the lost literature and languages died because of a slothful sense of efficiency. He could've mastered the riddle of the Runic locket by now if it wasn't for the King before the ousted King. Mashiga believed it to be a great injustice of the things people do in their leisure; a betrayal of freedom in favor for corruption. For Lance, it was an interesting conversation starter to make some burning lady joke before the carriage stopped.

Dennis wiped the sweat from his bow, his face driven red by the laughs he had recieved with Lance, who reciporcated with laughs of his own. ''As much as I've enjoyed our conversation, I should break bread with my family soon. This would be your step.''

Lance finished his laughing and descended from the carriage. ''That was a fine ride, my good man,'' Lance spoke with a cocky, yet elegant voice sung by the angels, ''I should meet mine too. They might think I'm dead.''

''Hey, not before me, you hear? We don't need no more young men dying, especially one with such a sense of humor.''

''I'll try. Now, I should be off.''

''Wait here. I run a dairy farm not far from this town. You shouldn't miss it if you ever find yourself that way.''

''My thanks for your hospitality, sir.''

''Don't be formal with me, I didn't offer you a daughter for your entertaining presence. Although between you & me, I would if I had another to offer.''

Armin began to blush really hard, but Lance kept his cool and simply bowed. ''There's plenty of women here. I'm sure I'll find one if I look in the right place.''

''Try the deli. That's where I found mine.''

Lance laughed a little before he made his good-bye. ''I'll try that. Take care now.''

''So long, Lance.''

Armin found himself in the middle of the market district in Trost. One venturing here who haven't since the battle three years ago could never fathom the amount of change that has happened there. The buildings were more advanced, larger, and well structured to that of a Wall Sina city. The city square spewed grandour and demanded awe with its fountains and monuments to the people who were lost protecting each other from that great conflict with the Titans, and almost all wreckage was impossible to track. Besides that, the city somehow kept its humble demeanor straight to the directions of the road. The people appeared kind and reserved for obvious reasons and Trost had become more safe in comparison to other places within Wall Rose.

Armin still remembered the big cook-off Jean & Sasha had many years ago not far from the market district. If he were to tie his scarf closer around his eyes and wander around the bends through a small cobble stoned corner, he would find the stage. The scent of boar meat and omelettes lingered in his nostrils.

From there he had an ephiphany from where to look first. ''_If the Survey Corps are in Wall Rose, Jean will likely visit his mother while he's here. I find him, I'll find the rest.''_

He tightened his scarf together and silently worked on his 'Lance' persona so Jean would never figure out who he was. A debate lingered in his mind whether to tell him too of his fate. At first, he only had Eren & Mikasa in mind, but in the last three years, Jean did have a mind worth picking at and opinions that could make a wise man humble if he could learn to control his temper and some near-beastial inferiority complex. Armin delegated it either had something to do with his nickname, 'Horse-Face', or his desire for independence from his mother.

The last three years have shown him to mature plenty, to the point that he can be in the same room with Eren and have a conversation with him without them coming to blows or vulgarity, sometimes. That's not to say he hasn't completely matured. There were points he had fallen off the wagon, the most notable being when Mikasa confessed to Eren. Armin laughed at how that went:

_''As soon as Historia ascended to the throne and everyone returned to their feet, I overheard Mikasa yell out, ''Fuck it.'' I was worried until I saw what she was doing with Eren. They must've kissed for about five minutes before realizing everyone in the throne room was applauding them. An 'I love you' exchange later, and Jean ran out of the room. He freaked out after we returned to the barracks. _

_I sympathized with him to a point but it was redundent for him to try and be 'competition.' As Eren said to me, they were practically married. It was obvious to me, and obvious to everyone else! Hopefully he was over her.''_

It had only been almost a year since those two got together and that was plenty of time for Jean to get over his crush, Armin hoped. The last time he was in the Survey Corps, Jean spent most of his time around Sasha or, the relutanct, Connie before his accident. Armin would sometimes pop up to check on him and play a chess game with him, but a bit of Jean's attitude would come up at a certain time. That made being around him almost intolerable, as if he were trying to impress someone.

Armin prepped up 'Lance' to go with the flow and not be easily irritated, not that is was the easiest thing to do. He practiced Berthold's method of relaxation techniques has he found himself at the front door of the Kirschtein residence, of what he knew because of it being written in a neat form of handwriting to the right side of the door. He knocked thrice, awaiting a response before making a final sigh.

.

This is part 1 of this chapter, part 2 will be out within this week or the next, depending on when I return and recover from my trip.

R&R and give constructive critique and I hope you enjoyed the ride so far. I believe we are half way there.

Until next time, good night & good luck!


	7. Resurrection

Chapter 7: Camelot pt.2: Resurrection

(.n.)

The door slowly opened, light breaking out into the night paraded with lanterns and walking denizens, having no care in the world. The person nervously cracked open the door, revealing an aged eye looming towards the man before her.

''Yes? Who are you?'' This was definitely not Jean. Not only was the voice too feminine, but also too reserved.

Armin knew of Jean's mother, Mrs. Kirschtein, for what most other members of the 104 knew her for: berated by Jean for giving him food. Since then, Jean-boy was a running underground nickname for him, but call him that now at your own risk.

She was one of the lucky ones; her house wasn't destroyed in the Battle of Trost. Her eyes shown fear towards Armin, whom she never met and likely thought he was either a sufferer of Leporact or a thief. He could talk like himself and still be safe yet it came out with a mix of Lance.

''Don't be alarmed, Madame. My name is Lance, Lance De France,'' perhaps not the best name, ''is this the Kirschtein residence?''

She nodded, relaxing her demeanor upon noticing that the one she knew as Lance De France didn't have reddish eyes nor any scabs on his hands. She became more trusting when she noticed the Survey Corps cape around his body which overtook her perplexion about the shroud around his face. ''You're apart of Jean-Boy's group?''

A giggle was silenced. ''Jean Kirschtein, yes. Is he inside by any chance?''

The mother's demeanor lowered further and looked at the man in his eyes, slightly reserved. ''I'm sorry, Jean Boy left about a half hour ago with a few friends.'' A smell of fresh eggs and mashed potatoes lingered from the crack of the door.

''You smell that,'' she noticed his intrigue as if it were a telepathic call, ''I'd love to offer a meal but one of Jean-Boy's friends ate all of our leftovers.''

''This friend was a girl?''

''Yes, how did you know?''

''Just a guess. You wouldn't happen to know where he and the others went?''

She scratched her nose, yawning in envious sloth. ''I don't exactly remember. I did overhear one of them talk about going to a park.''

_The only parks I know in Trost are the Memorial Park & the one just outside the city. Both of them are quiet at night while the outside one is perfect if you want to feel nature. Sasha would be at home around there while the Memorial Park is for sentimental value; I doubt a veteren of that battle would want to go. I know I don't.''_

Satisified with new knowledge and a lead, he bowed towards the mother. ''Thank-you, Madame. I hope you have a good night.''

She obliged with a smile before closing the door as Armin decided to venture towards the Outer Park; a timid nature reserve with almost no cottages or house surronding it's environmental splendour. There were no predators, and a casual camping destination during almost every season.

He wandered in that direction, avoiding the several denizens that walked the cobble-stoned streets, ignoring the patroners selling their wares. He only had one destination in mind and he couldn't handle it. He felt like he was shaking in his boots, firing like a rocket into the sky in a show of excitement, he could finally show himself agai-

*Ziiiiiiiiip*

''A 3DM?'' The use of 3DM gear in a populated area is only used for members of the military in situations that involved the highest of notority like during a Titan attack or a chase; none of these were happening. It's also illegal to be done unless any of these were met.

Frustration made a sitter in his stomach as Armin began to make chase with the source of that zipping noise with his own 3DM. The fact that someone who looks like a Nomad would use one never came to his attention among the thoughts of seeing his friends again and the newest in a platheora of obstacles that have gotten in his way.

On the rooftop, he gave chase to the man who was franctically using his 3DM with little care or knowledge of we're he was going. Either he was an undisciplined MP, a buyer, a thief, or another Insurgent.

Armin would find out in one of the luckiest of manners for the man managed to smack himself off of one of the taller buildings before falling into an alleyway among garbage. He wanted answers despite the easier decision to just walk away. ''Dammit.''

The alley was disgusting enough to make Levi start a war with the city itself for misuse of cleaning products. He cringed at the view of mildew everywhere, strange black spots along the walls, and a strange yellow liquid making its way along a crack in the unsymmetrical stones stuffed in tattered bags.

The person in question wore robes similar to that of a Leporact besides his face being visible where blood had replaced the hair at the top of his bald oval-shaped head. A small groan emiitting from his mouth reassured Armin that this man wasn't dead, just injured. With the amount of Survey Corps members within the wall and patrolling MPs, 'Lance' only had a small amount of time to get answers from him. Armin estimated 3 minutes, give or take 20 seconds without 3DM usage.

''Why do you have 3DM gear?'' A voice of irritation came out.

The suspect was confused. The throbbing pain from his head wound mixed with the shrouded man before him didn't make a match made in heaven. ''Yo-you're not...''

Armin grabbed him off of his feet and brought him to the wall, raising his voice. ''Where did you get your gear from!?''

One groan later and the suspect began to talk. ''I found it - some MPs were sleepin' near the tailors so we grabbed 'em.'' It took the suspect a minute to realize he said 'we.'

''Who's we?''

''Just another guy! There was only two of us,'' he started to get woozy. Whatever answers Armin wanted, he needed quick. ''My buddy tried to rob this girl a few minutes ago and I was trying to get help for him.''

''You're a thief. Why would you need help?''

''The girl's with Eren fuckin' Yeager, that's why. I'm not gonna get eaten for a few pieces.'' At least it sounded like 'a few pieces' to him. And despite popular belief, Eren has never eaten anyone in Titan form, or human form for clarity's sake.

''Where were they to?''

''Near the dirt road, close to the park way.''

''Good, nighty-night.'' Armin punched the man down and whistled for a hospice wagon to come for the unconcious man. He let him keep the 3DM gear because he neglected to ask for where they took it and may be it would do those MPs some good for sleeping on the job. _''Do they do this a lot?''_ Armin thought, realizing that when the corruption was stripped away from the MPs, it was replaced by sloth. A discussion for another time with Shadis, now his frustration was reduced to a minor irritant for now his cure was that Eren and, likely, Mikasa were now in the city.

Whether they were with Sasha & Jean was entirely up for debate. All that was seperating him from seeing them again was a bruised and battered thief with someone's 3DM gear; bruised and battered being less of a debate and more of an eventuallity.

He used his 3DM gear quickly to evade the approaching MPs, whereever they were, and lept towards the dirt road that led to the Outer Park. There was a crowd of people, mostly denizens and civillains, surronding something around the dirt road. There were some cottages and houses, but one could clearly tell when they were still within Trost or closer to the camp site. Armin moved around the surronding bodies, some becoming scared that he may have been a Leporact. Deduction was not in their nature if only they would look at his dirty but scabbless hands.

_''This probably wasn't the best clothes to wear in retrospect.'' _He was starting to get worried that an angry mob or a lone gunman may come and play the hero. If that happened, his cover would be blown. Get in, get out.

The source of this attention was a broken man, beaten and bruised with blood leaking from his nose. He was still awake, choosing which limb to sooth first. _''This could've been Eren or Mikasa, or both. Married couples tend to do everything together, in theory.'' _The broken remains of the stolen 3DM gear were scattered around the street along with pieces of his clothing and a small knife that has seen better days and better handlers.

Armin, again, used 'Lance' here to get answers. ''Excuse me, I need to know what happened here.'' The man was screaming out in pain. Armin took the sleeve of his dress shirt and ripped it off, creating a small sling for the man's arm so now it was only his leg he had to worry about. He didn't have anything to lower the pain from his leg at present. ''How do you feel?''

''Fine...'' The Thief brought himself up to say, feeling a small sense of relief that the pain was lowered a little bit. It made him docile enough to speak. ''Thanks, uhhh...''

''It's Lance.''

''You a MP?''

''Not exactly.''

''Then Garrison?''

''No.''

An expression of horror changed his face as he started limbing back through the crowds of people, staggering in confusion. ''Get the hell away from me! I can't be here right now!''

''Friend, I'm just trying to...''

''I'm no friend of the Survey Corps, you hear that folks?'' He begged to the audience.

''What are you talking about?''

''I said, get away!''

Suddenly, several blasts shot through the night sky. The flock of people sped away like ducks from a predator as fast as they could, leaving only the injured thief, Armin, and three people in make shift army gear except the coats were longer and black with shoulder pads on the left.

They were armed with LEs* and a short knife could be glanced from the boot of the one in the center; the only one who didn't have his mouth covered by a small bandana. The one on the left angled his rifle towards a cowering citizen hiding besides a stray broken water fountain, but never fired until he got a word from the same man on center. He held his stance, finger on the trigger. The man on the right kept his rifle pointing at the leg of the injured thief.

The most obvious decision for Armin was to save them but who? He could easily outmanuever all of them and save them both, but his cover would be blown for he could still feel beaming eyes watch from secret windows and dirty drapes. He was trapped.

''See, boss? I got me a Survey right here for yas! I played possum until you arrived!''

The man in the center approached slowly before the thief, noticing his cast and the ripped shirt. He deduced quickly and stomped upon his injured leg. A curdling scream forced Armin into stepping in, only to face the barrel of a LE along with two others from the back.

''Ahh fuck, the pisser left.'' The man on the left whined, stress relieved from the broad covered shoulders of Armin.

''Don't worry about that, we gotta pussy lover who wants to play the hero.''

_''These must be King's Brigadiers; street thugs angry about the Queen and the Survey Corps.'' _Not many royal transitions throughout history as ever run smoothly. This one was no different. Pussy Lover was a negative connotation for supporters for Queen Historia Reiss. They have a strong belief that once the Titan's know they have a Queen leading the walls, they'll come and destroy civalization. To anyone with a logical mind, the proof to the contrary is astronomical however they have been the second leading cause to Survey Corps death within the time the Homo-Titanus formula was concocted - namely rookies were killed. The leading cause was suicide.

Despite their place, they are a scattered and militant group. Unless a Corps member wore their garb out in public, these people wouldn't be able to figure out if one was a Corps member or not without inside information. The most well known without such were Levi, Eren, Erwin, Hanji, & Shadis if he were still the commander of the Survey Corps, not including those specific to certain walls or districts.

''Number 2, you know what to do with traitors who take help from Pussy Lovers, right?''

''No, it's not like that-''

''Loud...and...clear.''

_''No one dies on my watch.''_ Armin thought to himself the seldom promise he made that whenever he had a chance, he needed to protect everyone. People like these were included.

The shot fired and Armin took the bullet to his back missing the knapsack, protecting the bewildered and anxious thief with it. As far as the thief knew, the man before him was dead, trying to protect a life he shouldn't have.

The man on the right made a small laugh over the strangeness of the situtation while the man in the center cocked an eyebrow. ''You really are a disappointment, aren't you? Forcing this piece of shit to save your life is not gonna make you look good or us besides to the Titans.''

''B-but he's dead...'' He stuttered to say not like it mattered to his Ringleader.

The Ringleader began to bark. ''But nothing! You and your bitch couldn't rob a few scurring Pussies and you had to be saved by...''

''Not my fault it was Yeager or that Asian.''

''You mean to tell me you fucked up against an Asian? That must've been the same bitch my brother tried to market...''

''B-ut I can tell you...''

''What?''

Before the thief could say anything else, he noticed something out of the ordinary near him; something that should be impossible to fathom. He noticed a small glimmer of silver catch his eye near his leg. It looked small and crooked like a cashew with a small dent. He froze upon figuring out what it actually was.

''What is it!?''

With his good arm, he pointed at the small silver pebble before him.

When the Ringleader tried to pick it up for observation, a dead man's hand reached out and took the LE from his hand. Front kicking him down to the ground, he fired the LE at the man to the left's hand, causing the rifle to fall and make him scream. The man to the right, horrified at the vision of what he saw began firing wildly the 5 cartridge rifle in his hand, but each shot did nothing to stop the monster before him. Armin's skin, reinforced by the sunlight already in his body and the Hanji formula running in his system, was an organic bulletproof shield.

Before he could fire the final round, Armin was up in front of him, small holes in where the bullets were fired along his cape and shirt. He grabbed the barrel and crushed it before punching the man out cold. The Ringleader, on the other hand, brought himself on his knees before him.

''As fun as this was, can you please stop? The wagons will be on there way in any minute.''

''I'm not gonna be taken in by a Pussy Lover!'' With a knife hidden in his boot, he impaled himself in the heart, dying instantly there.

''No!''

''...Why...''

_''Why couldn't I save him?''_ A desperate man's speed was uncanny, to uncanny or faster than the polluted mind of Armin's to catch on. He was too heavy on surviving five shots from an LE without any detriments to even respond. He stayed in that possum-like position, not because of some form of goating, but out of confusion to why he wasn't hurt or killed.

A bullet to the back should mean he was immobilized; he's not supposed to walk. In lieu of that, he stood triumphant over four criminals of differing natures.

''Why did you save me?''

A beacon of light shone from the words of that man. He was right, he did save him. Shadis had once told him that, ''you can't save everyone.'' Armin secretly whispered to himself to ease him by thinking that, _''it's worth trying for.'' _''Because it was the right thing to do.''

''Thanks.'' A sincere smile came from the thief as the clanging of the wagon's began to show up, willing walking towards them without any need for cuffs. Armin fired his 3DM gear and sailed off to a more isolated district. The intent to see his friends never ceased, now knowing they had to be somewhere within the Outer Park but wearing a Survey Corps cape was a huge target.

One trip to a clothesline with a large white sheet later, and he continued his search for his friends with only one thought coming to as to who would want to 'market' an Asian.

_''That guy said his brother tried to buy an Asian a while ago. Mikasa has been the only one, according to most records, left within these walls. I really hope she isn't but that could explain a lot about how she acts around everyone and Eren. Oh so suddenly, they were inseperable. I had thought about asking them what happened, but any time I tried Eren would become defensive, so I stopped. It never dawned on me since until now. What happened to you two?''_

The Outer Park was a massive field that spanned several kilometres with trees reaching towards the sky, a breeze creating a romantic visual of the leaves on the branches to dance to the cloudless sky in the full moonlight. Silence brought the sounds of birds echoing their song for all who wishes to be indulged by it. It was nature at her finest.

For Armin, the sounds of nature making love to the night sky was silenced with bickering voices from several metres away.

''Hey, Mikasa, are you gonna eat that?''

''She needs to eat too, Sasha.''

''I'm only asking.''

''Eren, it's fine, and no.''

''Alright, heeeeeyy, Jean.''

''I never get to eat!''

''Pffft, party pooper.''

And with a thousand fires bustling through his gut, he lept behind a large tree in view of the four: Jean, Sasha, Eren, & Mikasa eating and sitting before a fire with three tents propped up behind them.

Armin began to think about what to say before seeing a small log close to them that whispered in his ear, ''room for one more.''

All he needed to do was to step out into the moonlight.

The next and final part of Camelot will be posted within this or early next week. It will be a short chapter and remember to R&R and provide constructive critcism please!

LE = Lee Enfield rifles circa WW1 used by the British Army.

Until next time, good night & good luck!


	8. Nomadic Messenger

Chapter 8: Camelot pt.3: The Nomadic Messenger

_''If it were that easy.'' _Armin thought instead of walking out away from the tree to the view of the four young Corporals.

He clutched on the wood of the tree, a rough feeling bracing his palms.

_''It's too easy. I should be able to go out there and talk to them but...but what would I say to any of them? ''Hi guys, sorry for disappearing on you and making you think I was dead for a couple of months - I'm back now so let's forget about everything that happened!'' Eren will probably think I was masquearading as me and start punching me in the front while Jean grabbed me from the back!_

_He'll stop; his hands will break, that is until he turns Titan! Then I'll be blamed for it & Eren will be executed for destroying the park. And what will Mikasa do if I screwed that up? She's been trying to confess her feelings to him for how long? And now I come along and screw that up by coming out. She could actually hurt me, and Sasha, she'll take all of my food. _

_Wait, what about that guy, what if he had other people come here; told people about Mikasa. I can see the headlines now: Captain Mashiga is Armin Arlert; his friends can be hurt! _

_Why am I worried about this? Eren & Mikasa can keep a secret. Jean seems like someone who would blurt out anything in an angry tantrum and Sasha...I'm not sure. Would showing myself off be so bad either? Jean's lost Marco, Sasha's lost her best friend to himself, Eren & Mikasa lost about everyone - letting them know I'm alive wouldn't be so bad, would it?_

_What do I do, what do I do?''_

''Hey, is anyone there?'' A curious female voice, stuffed with food, called out. Armin's thoughts ceased in fear, hugging himself closer to the tree. _''Sasha couldn't have seen me. Maybe, maybe it was just a coincidence.''_

''What are you yelling about?''

''No, look, I saw something white move behind that tree.''

Armin didn't notice the wind tonight where there was a slight breeze moving to the east of where he was, revealing his shroud away from the tree.

''I see it too! Who's there?'' That was Jean's voice yelling out.

_''They know I'm here and I need to do something now.'' _Looking at his 3DM gear the chance of escaping seemed greater, but he stiffened his lip. _''No, I came this far.'' _Two sets of footsteps began to approach his location. His heart began to beat a rhythm heard only during festivals involving several drums and dance. He tugged on his scarf, trying to cool himself off until he came up with a realization. _''Lance...''_

''We know you're there so...'' Eren, accompanied by Mikasa, was interrupted by the being revealing himself to the four from the trees. Armin began to speak as Lance, greeting them with a bow and a nervous voice.

''Greetings, my name is Lance de France, I'm sorry if I disturbed you I was a little nervous.'' A white lie came out, but Armin was nervous for the two people he considered the closest he had left to family stood before him.

''Is it the whole thing about me eating people, 'cause that's bullshit.'' Eren reaffirmed what everyone already knew. Armin managed to take a glance at how Eren moved his hand, noticing a small silver ring around the ring finger of his left hand. He made a quick glance at Mikasa's and found she had the same.

_''They did get married. I'm so sorry I missed it.'' _''No need, fellas.''

''So what are you doing here, sneaking around our campsite?'' Jean suspiciously asked from where he was sitting, with good reason.

''Right, I am...on business for...Captain Mashiga, yes!'' Armin quickly made up the story as he went, hoping the four would believe them but he felt he would have trouble coercing Jean and perhaps Mikasa. ''He wanted me to inform to you two that while he was patrolling Wall Maria, he found a small hidden cave in a small place outside the towns and...''

''Get to the point.'' Jean impatiently spoke.

''Right, right, right! Captain Mashiga searched one of the caves and found Corporal Arlert in the deepest part of the cave.''

Eren & Mikasa were both surprised of what they just heard, Sasha seemed confused about what's going on more focused on stealing Jean's food, and Jean began to approach the shrouded man.

Before he could say anything, Mikasa questioned the man. ''Are you serious, where is he?''

Armin looked down from the oriental, trying to hide his eyes from her vision. ''According to the Captain, he was in critical condition. He must've been hiding out in the cave for weeks before he found him. There was a small road of the bodies of Insurgents close to where he made his lair.''

''But does he live?'' Eren intervened with anticipation.

''Yes, he is currently in a coma being cared for.''

Eren looked happily at Mikasa, whom nodded in response. ''We have to visit him!''

_''Crap, they can't start searching hospices, I need to come up with something else!'' _Armin waved his hands away from the two. ''No, no, no! You can't right now.''

Eren looked at him with his left eyebrow cocked. ''Why not, he's our friend! We can't abandon him.''

Armin wanted to sigh and hug them more than anything, tell him he stands before them and live a fairy tale ending. Sadly, this was more of a Grimm story or something out of the 1001 Nights than some Mother Goose tale. ''By the order of Captain Mashiga, Corporal Arlert is not to be seen by anyone or visited in his undisclosed hospice. Captain Mashiga believes any extreme situtation, good or bad, will aggrevate his condition further.''

''What could be worse than what he's in now?!'' Eren demanded where Armin knew only one answer. Armin gave him a small gaze to which Eren realized what could be worse. His face rendered guilty, he understood and nodded.

''When Armin awakens, will you or the Captain tell us where he is?'' Mikasa sterenly asked, holding Eren's hand to comfort him, and herself.

Armin nodded but he was reserved in his thoughts as to when he will. He knew more about comas than any of the other four. He didn't care, seeing his friends happy and having them know he was still alive made this night worth the odyessy he treked.

''Hold up,'' Jean made himself known with suspicions, ''a coma, a secret cave, and an undisclosed hospice; this all seems way too convienent.''

_''I don't blame you, Jean. You've lost your best friend and he's never coming back.'' _''You're right to have your doubts. Captain Mashiga knew you would, Corporal Kirschtein.''

''How do you know my name?''

''Err...The Captain told me all of the names of the group Armin was apart of and issued me to locate them this night with their descriptions. One of the first places I visited was your Mother's house. I hope you all enjoyed your dinners, especially, Corproral Braus.''

The three looked back to notice Sasha was eating Jean's share as well as a basket of apples they brought along. Her mouth was agape about to eat an apple. ''Sasha!''

''Oh come on, they were gonna go bad otherwise. It's not my fault you're a slow eater.''

Eren began to laugh.

''What's so funny, Yeager? You wouldn't be laughing if it was your food.''

''Yeah, but it's not mine.''

_''Wow, Jean & Eren spoke to each other and it didn't lead to violence. It still surprises me.'' _Jean rolled his eyes before turning back to the shrouded man. ''Anyways, how am I supposed to believe Armin's still alive when he's not here to speak for himself?''

''As I said, I understand your doubts. As you can clearly tell, I couldn't bring Armin's body with me for a number of reasons, however I do have something that could prove his continued existance.'' Armin unhooked the bag from his back, noticing a strange burning smell coming from the inside. He took the small book, ''Camelot'' out noticing a bullet graze that broke the upper left corner of the book and burning the pages it touched. He had no time to check the book and hid his surprise, instead using the damage as further weight for his story.

He handed the book to Eren and continued to speak. ''There were several books in a pile where he was with a few quills. He didn't appear to write much, according to the Captain. This book was the closest to him when he was found. Someone may have tried to shoot him while he was holding it.''

Eren held the book and looked at it, eyes widened, as Jean and Mikasa looked at the book and him, respectively. ''This was the last book I saw him read...he must've taken a lot of books with him before he left and...'' a small tear dropped from his eye, ''You're one hell of a messenger.'' Eren said, wiping away his tear with the rear of his hand while Mikasa coddled him, smiling feintly towards Lance.

_''That's what Lance will be then.'' _Armin thought figuring out a use for his Nomadic persona: The Personal Messenger of Captain Mashiga. ''That's what I am.'' He bowed before the group, re-hooking his bag, and carrying it on his back again. ''I'll return to you when he is ready to be seen again, I promise.''

He took a quick mental picture of the group before he left: The smiling couple, Eren holding Mikasa's hand on his left and Camelot on his right, tightly to his chest towards him, Jean providing a slight smirk from Eren's right, and Sasha approaching the group with a potato, seemingly out of nowhere, in her hands, bewildered of what was going on.

_''I think I have something to draw for tonight.'' _In what was forever, and what he wanted to be forever, he walked away from the four he cared for the most to continue his mission with reinvigored purpose. _''They know I'm alive, that'll do.''_

With that thought, the Nomad zipped away from the group back into darkness towards his manor, leaving the four to contemplate what had just happened after explaining the situation to a newly enthusiastic Sasha, who began jumping for joy.

''That's fantastic! This calls for a celebration, first one to Jean's apple basket wins!'' She ran away, seemingly ignored by everyone else as she began diving towads the fruit.

Eren looked solemnly at the book, ''He's alive.''

''I know, you were there,'' Mikasa responded with a smirk on her face, ''you know what that means, right?''

Eren looked back at his lover, giving her a nod. ''When he recovers.''

''Right.''

The two walked back to the camping site, not realizing Jean had been standing to himself, his smirking face exchanged with a face of articulation a finger on his chin in deep meditation. A few holymen had taught him to do so to reduce his anger and clear his thoughts whenever he needed it. _''The guy, Lance, he kept his face hidden until he looked at Yeager with those green eyes. Wasn't Armin with Hanji when he left?''_

''Jean?'' Eren asked to the Two-toned haired man.

''Yeager, I have a question.''

''What's up?''

Jean began to walk slowly, arms waving to his side non-chanlantly. ''Don't you find it odd?''

''What's odd?''

''You know, that you, me, her, and the rest of Levi's group searched Wall Maria AND the Outskirts, and we couldn't find Armin or any of these 'Insurgents'?''

Eren cocked his eyebrows, but Mikasa intervened. ''It was night time when we searched and we only had a few lanterns, you know as well as I do that what we could do was limited.''

''Exactly! We only had a few nights to do that when we could, we could've missed a few places.''

Jean crossed his arms, standing his ground.

''Don't tell me you think Lance lied to us?''

Jean pet peeve #24: Misinterpretation. ''No, it's not like that at all! I want him to be alive as much as you guys and I'm happy too to hear it, but didn't you guys think he seemed familar.''

Eren looked at Mikasa for a moment, thinking about what he said, changing to a laughter. ''I think you've been spending too much time in the heat.''

''He had green eyes!''

''That's not rare.'' Mikasa matter-of-factly said, and she wasn't wrong either. ''Besides, the messenger was too built looking to be Armin.''

''If he was trapped by insurgents and kept himself in a cave, I don't think he would be spending time doing push-ups. He's too smart for that.'' Eren added. ''Something good happened to us, just accept it, would ya Horseface?'' He remarked to lighten up the mood.

Jean pet peeve #7: Being called Horseface.

''Will you fuck off with that name!?'' Jean screamed before sighing in acceptance, ''Fine, you guys are right. I'm just overthinking things again.''

''Alright, now come on, before Sasha eats everything.'' Eren said before he and Mikasa continued towards the campsite, Jean's thoughts still lingering towards Lance, his eyes, and the way he talked about those insurgents.

_''Bodies surronding...a cave...wouldn't the smell be noticable or wouldn't there be a sighting or anything!''_

Jean looked back into the forest, watching the trees block his view away from the dirt road into darkness, only leaves moving along the high ends of the trees.

''You guys are full already?''

''It was two steaks!''

''That's an entree!''

''Even I have to agree with Sasha, Eren.''

''I hate you both.''

''I can change that after dinner.''

''I'll deal with that tomorrow_.'' _Jean snickered, _''Those steaks won't eat themselves.'' _

_(.,..,)_

Provide constructive criticism and let me know what you think!

This ends the Camelot trilogy and a new arch will start for this story which will lead up to the present time.

The next chapter will be two dialogue heavy parts and after that, we'll uncover how Armin got into the situtation he's in.

Until next time, good night & good luck!


	9. Lifeline

Chapter 9: Lifeline

-20 minutes later-

The manor was large and mostly unused. Besides the office Armin uses as a library, a studio for drawing, an armory of minimal items, and a bedroom and the kitchen, the rest of the 15 room manor was barely used except by the dust that had touched upon the funiture and the hardwood floor of the entrance way after the double doors that Armin opened up upon reaching back to the manor.

Sneaking past sleeping guards wasn't steam science.

A dim light from a chandilier broke the darkness and laid a strange sense of luxary and safety that he wasn't used to in the last eight years of his life, fighting Titans, other people, surviving the elements, and taking on boot camp.

The large staircase coated with red carpet led the way to his multi-purpose room that had made his home more contained than it should.

There was just one problem with the safety of the manor...

...the front doors were opened.

_''The guards were asleep - they're not here to kill anyone. I should stay on my guard.'' _Without his shield, he had no weapon on him that he was comfortable with. He unsheathed the curved dagger and readied it. He could sense someone the minute they decided to 'ambush' him.

Concentrating, he heard someone breathing as he ascended the staircase, taking care with each step, slowly moving up each stair. Armin wasn't worried of dying; standard issue swords couldn't penetrate him and bullets bounced off of him. The anxiety, however, was there for whomever tried to invade his home.

The breathing grew louder, turning into silent whispers. He reared the dagger, standing before his room. He tried to control his breathing in turn, worrying that whomever was behind that door may now know his secret.

_''What if they start telling people? No, I need to stop them before they do anything.''_ Using a bladed weapon would make things hard for his mission of life preservation. He began strategizing how he was going to take down the trespassers without loss of life. A quick careful glance at the iron hilt. The cold metal was strong enough to cause trauma and, with care, only an injury.

He opens the door and leaps out into his room noticing there were two people inside it, and they weren't your everyday trespassers.

''Captain Mashiga, or should I refer to you as Lance de France?''

''Commander Shadis!'' Armin took down his hood and saluted to the Commander, who was standing there with a look of anger along with a strange smiling man in a nice suit with combed back greying dark hair.

''Do you realize how much you risked by going out tonight? Me and Captain Daniel Cage managed to walk in to this room. You gave us plenty of time to find every single secret you have.

I had to visit you because I kept getting reports from several MPs about a shrouded man in 3DM gear, a bloodied man in a disgusting alley way, a shoot-out, and four of my men incapacitated! I needed to know what you were doing and, at first, I was relieved to know you weren't here...'' Shadis approached the closest where the suit of armor was placed, taking the helmet and throwing it at Armin's feet, ''until I saw this! What sort of excuse do you have for this, because just about anyone could've learned everything about you?''

''I went out to see my friends.'' Armin honestly answered, brazenly towards Shadis whom responded quietly like a bomb about to go off.

''You mean to tell me you, against Royal Committee orders, told two people about your secret identity?''

''Not exactly.''

He barked one more order. ''Then explain yourself, Captain Arlert!?'' There was no point in calling him Mashiga here.

''I had told Corporals Yeager, Ackerman, Kirschtein, & Braus that the Corporal Armin Arlert was recovered by Captain Mashiga and placed under his care for the reasons of him falling into a coma!''

''Are you insane, Captain Arlert?'' Shadis demanded to know for whatever reason Armin tried to think of.

''They needed to know!''

''No, not that,'' Armin's eyes widened, ''I want to know why you kept refering to yourself in the 3rd person.''

''I was under the guise of Lance de France, the personal messenger of Captain Mashiga, when I spoke to the four.''

He crossed his arms. ''Funny how the only people crazy enough to join YOUR HDD is yourself.'' He walked closer to Armin, almost nose-to-nose with him. ''Why did those four need to know?''

Suddenly in a strange moment of integrity, Armin's spine grew strong as he stood his ground in his conviction, looking dead in Shadis' eye. ''Because they didn't need to think I was dead, that dwarf had no right to tell them I was dead, and the Royal Committee had no right to keep me dead, sir!''

Shadis' eyes grew bigger, seemingly rearing to rip the superhuman apart. In the back of Armin's head, he had no clue what he was going to be punished for first: running out, defying the Committee, backtalking to Shadis, or refering to Humanity's Greatest Soldier as a dwarf. _''I shouldn't let my height get to me.''_

''I agree.''

''What?'' Armin asked in surprise.

''I didn't agree with how Warrant Officer Ackerman handled your situation, albeit lack of knowledge about yours and Commander Hanji's situtation, nor did I agree with Commander Smith's choice to appease to his choice, but considering the circumstances not much could be done. Do you understand that?''

''But my body was never found and Hanji planned for me to return to the Corps!''

''That was before Insurgents made their way inside the Palace.''

That's when Armin found an ephipany about the situation. ''You didn't want people to know about that.''

''No, because if the public were to know the Royal Guard could've been breached, there would have to be a massive check-out for every group. Public opinion of the Queen is low as it is, despite her advisors. Anything worse could lead to uprisings. You wouldn't want another one, especially to Krista, would you?''

He hadn't heard Historia be referred to as Krista in a long time that it caught him off guard. ''Not ever. She's a dear friend and a respected comrade to the Corps.''

''Exactly, Captain Arlert. We needed to keep this contigency secret to only those who knew.''

Armin responded back with another shock. ''What about that Insurgent I chased down? We were in a public place, someone must've surely looked up!''

Shadis sourly laughed to himself, coming out as a HA! ''For an addict reader, you don't read the paper much.''

The well dressed man, Daniel Cage began to explain the situation. ''The Royal Guard impersonator was a known felon who had been a part of a local cult that worshipped the Titans as the next evolution of man. The muscle bound person that attacked and killed the Guard was a distraught father who lost his wife to that very same cult within the Royal Capitol. The father, described as a muscular man with long blond hair and a recently discharged member of the Survey Corps, was never found or recognized because no one of that description has been seen since.''

Shadis quickly read Armin's obviously distraught face and responded. ''And no one has.''

''I never killed anyone.''

''No, you didn't. The Father in that story did.''

Cage began to speak again. ''The story were to change to one of suicide, I'm sure a few curious MPs and concerned citizens would wish to know what forced a man to choose death over a prison sentence.''

_''Who is this guy and why does he seem to enjoy explaining things like this?''_

''Back to the matter at hand,'' Shadis brought his arms to his back and looked towards Armin, ''you told them 'Armin' was in a coma, correct?''

''Yes, sir.''

''And what do the four know about comas?''

''That the person is unconcious for a temporary amount of time, longer than a day is usually the criteria.''

''Very good, now tell me what happens if the person is in a coma for three months?''

Armin knew the answer very well, _''It is...safe to assume that permanent brain damage will result and the chances of recovering becomes lower and lower.'' _An answer he reluctantly gave to Shadis, growing quieter with each passing syllable.

''That's right. You didn't think about how you will have to explain to your 'friends' how Armin died in a hospital bed because he never recovered, or do you plan on revealing yourself further to them?''

''That...that wasn't my intention and you know that!'' Armin irritantly responded to him. Armin pondered that, in a rush, the coma may not have been the best story to give to his friends and it will only serve to cause them to hate Mashiga for letting him die. That wouldn't be how it is, but that's what Eren will jump to. It appeared inevitible that either he will have to tell them the truth or Captain Mashiga will become a cursed name in Levi's group, spat like tobacco from a decaying mouth.

''Captain Arlert!''

''Yes, sir?''

''Did you hear a single thing I said about what Corporal Yeager could do or were you thinking about another loved one you'd like to tell, perhaps to get some sympathy pussy?''

''No, sir, nothing like that!''

''Then you understand that his curiousity will eventually get the best of him and he will pander you for questions.''

''I understand, sir, but what of the other three?''

''Despite her advanced qualities, Corporal Ackerman will do anything Yeager does, for better or worse. Corporal Braus considers a potato more worthy of her time than you, and Corporal Kirschtein...'', Shadis meditated for a moment on his stance, ''he may if it matters to him. Do you think you matter to him, Captain Arlert?''

There was no right answer to Commander Shadis' question here. A yes meant Armin was digging his own shallow hole further while a no hurt his credability as 'trustworthy & intelligent.'

''It doesn't matter.'' Shadis walked away from Armin and walked towards the door. ''Captain Arlert, about turn!''

Armin spun around to look at the tense Commander.

''This is Captain Daniel Cage of the Military Police. He is an instructor in several forms of hand-to-hand combat as well as the inventor of a martial art that you may find interesting.''

''However, I wouldn't be able to teach you.''

''That's correct. With his mind, he'll master your techniques within a week. Captain Daniel Cage is the most dangerous man with his fists and whatever comb he uses to fix his hair everyday. The criminals in Wall Sina feared this man; they'd rather piss themselves and get on their knees to pleasure him rather than screw with Lady Sina while he's around.''

Captain Daniel Cage, a renowned MP of great decorum, smiled with his eyes closed throughout the entire speech solely to compliment his never growing and contained ego. To Armin, he was the Levi of the MPs with a smile that either meant he was content with his life so far or he was excited for the next time he tasted saliva on his knuckles.

Shadis continued. ''What you have done today had made me realize you need to have an eye on you at all times; just because you now have the body of a Titan, you still have the mind of a boy at the peek of puberty: uncertain and defiant.''

''Captain Cage will be my CO, sir?''

''In a way - Captain Cage will serve as the eyes and ears of the manor while also serving as the caretaker.''

Armin's eyes squinted in confusion. Essentially, Commander Shadis was using Captain Cage as a butler. This was translated well to Shadis who continued.

''Anywhere you go, anything you do, anything you eat or drink or shit, will be reported to me from Captain Cage. Your hair won't be able to grow without him knowing.''

Armin nodded. There was no point in arguing with Shadis, despite his temptation to combat that what he did was for his own sake, this was merely a small sacrifice to take. A sacrifice worth having. ''I accept my punishment, Commander Shadis, Captain Cage.''

Shadis began to grin sadistically. ''This isn't your punishment, Captain Arlert.'' He said before leaving the room.

''Your punishment,'' Captain Cage began to speak in his calm demeanor, ''is to be administered by me tomorrow morning at 5am sharp in the garden.'' He scratched his nose before continuing, ''I believe the Commander wanted me to teach you discipline in a way he couldn't anymore.''

''With all due respect, Captain-''

''We are both Captains, call me Cage.'' Cage interrupted calmly.

''Right, Cage, I don't know what you can do to make me feel disciplined besides what I am now.'' In theory, Armin was correct to have his doubts. His physique meant that physical exertion was a thing of the past and his intelligence would quickly pick up on any loopholes he could find in Cage's logic - not like logic meant anything in the military in regards to discipline. In retrospect, he may be underestimating the somewhat aged and seemingly frail man before him, well frail in comparison to the superhuman before him.

''I like a challenge, Arlert.'' He laughed, his shoulders moving in respone to each chuckle. ''I shall fix up the door and wake up those two subordinates before the gate. In the meantime, I would suggest you get some sleep in your, '' he looked at the cot surronded by books and the helmet close to the foot of the bed, ''sleeping quarters.''

The Captain-turned-Babysitter/Butler left Armin alone in his chamber, awaiting for what will be in store for the tomorrow morning, questioning to himself:

_''I know what I did was right. I needed to let my friends know that I was still alive. I could go on for the next three months keeping that hope alive among them, not worrying if they ever lost it in finding me or anything. Still, that's one of the only things me and Shadis do agree on. What I did was good for them and me, and I don't care what happens. If any consequences occur, I will take it on headfirst and with a sound mind. I have to, it's my duty._

_The only thing now is, what will it be? Eren and Mikasa started demanding answers from Mashiga? They could start hating me...him, I hope to say I can handle it because the Captain will need to have a firm standing but I won't know unil it happens. _

_And what about after three months? It's not right to have to wait until I cross that bridge, but Shadis is right, Armin...me... is on life support for the time being and the two will surely grow impatient overtime, no matter how much I'll try to coerce them. But what else can I do?_

_I think I am going mental.''_

For the next few hours, Captain Mashiga continued to keep to himself thinking of every consequence, logical and illogical, before he drew the image burned into his head from earlier. Each line he drew growing closer to the image, his heart soared, his soul finding peace on the flat of a canvas.

The lifeline he placed...Shadis' disapproval...whatever else can happen...he will take the punishment and the consequences whatever they'll be.

For tonight, Armin was reborn once more.

-SSSSSS-

The next chapter shall be one more dialogue from someone new to the story and a bit about what happened between Armin & the OC Cage.

Until next time, good night and good luck!


	10. The Visit

Chapter 10: The Visit

A.N: Ever watch Beowulf? There's a scene there where Beowulf explains to the King how he killed Grendal's Mother...think of this chapter as something similar to that.

-Present Time-

My torture as gotten more consistent now, the time lapses have become longer. I have no knowledge of time passed so I'll let the hair growing from my chin tell me how long I've been down here.

My facial hair doesn't grow quickly, never did. I would shave weekly because it would become noticable that I had blond hair. Enough people knew my eye colour, can't give my enemies too much information, or my friends.

Not like that matters now.

I got lazy one week and let my facial hair grow out a little because I shaved twice that week, s if it's this great now, merely a little stubble but noticable on the rag covering my face. It appears to be about an inch, so I've been down here for about...

''...five days.''

''It will be in a few minutes. Always the detective, Captain. You always were.'' My captor had asked me how long I was here. Not a bad guess, if you ask me. ''I would've thought my last strike would've given you some memory loss, how unfortunate.''

''I hear I'm hard to kill.'' I really do. Why else would he be keeping me in here? Keep my death silent. So far, he's been going easy on me. I found that evident from his laugh.

''Kill you? No, I don't wanna kill you - not yet, anyways.'' His gloved hands grabbed my throat and pushed my unto the brick wall. I could feel the trenches between each brick. Yep, I was moved again. ''You wouldn't know mortality anymore, not like us humans who had to face it every single damn day. If you were any weaker, you'd be dead by now.'' He banged my head off the wall in a Berserker's rage. My head resonated in pain. ''That healing factor must be a saintly favor.''

I clinched my teeth to keep my evidence of suffering from coming out, I don't wanna please this guy any further than he was.

''I want to show you that you can be beaten; to be at mercy. And eventually, I want the last thing to see is the one man that beat you.''

There was a short pause before someone opened the door and whispered something in his ear. I could barely pick out what he was saying to him besides, ''You're needed...'' the rest was just mumbles mixed with the ringing in my ears. I felt him look back at me. I could see his face now, smiling a demon's smile, cocky with a sense of pride and joy. Feeling like he did the work of a holy man who had a straight ticket to paradise in a sadist's daydream.

He'd have hated to know he wasn't the one man that beat me.

That man was Captain Daniel Cage almost two months ago.

-1 Month & 29 days before the Present Time-

''Now, Mr. Arlert, I thought you were tougher than the average man? Was the stories Shadis told me about your skill-set all but fabricated myths like that cursed Bunny or King Fritz's legitmacy?''

This was the latest in a series of taunts that angered Armin in the last hour from the surprisingly powerful Daniel Cage, standing in a formal way before the standing Armin. He tried new tactics after new tactics, but no matter how fast Armin threw a punch, Daniel would avoid and use Armin's own inertia against him, causing him harm where others couldn't.

''Was that a moan of pain? I never landed a single punch on you or is the grass that sharp?'' Armin knew exactly what he was doing. It was like Shadis taught Armin about using momentum against his opponents. The only problem was that he's never faced a traine fighter that can match him before, until now.

''You're using my weight against me.''

''I'm glad to know I'm not the only Captain to read a Physics book, but I'm sure that'll matter when a psychopath has a poor child's wrangling neck in his palm.''

Armin stood back up and began using more of Shadis' advanced techniques, managing to get his hands on Daniel and began wrestling him for superiority. Armin's mind began circulating ways of winning the war against Daniel's resistance, forcing him into a test of strength, a sure road to victory for the Blond Superhuman. ''Impressive...'' Daniel uttered before throwing his legs around Armin's left arm and whipping him along the grass, ''...if I didn't teach Shadis that.''

''How much did you teach him?''

''What do you know?'' He left a cocky smile.

''Everything.''

''Then I taught him everything, he was my favorite pupil after all.''

Armin walked briskly to Daniel, faking a punch before kicking him. Daniel dodged the kick and landed a kick of his own, not that it felt like anything. Armin caught the leg and managed to sweep the other leg before Daniel performed a mid-air front flip over the sweep. A quick kick to his face was a mere distraction to Armin, followed by a leaping flip, knocking Armin over.

''You're fast.'' Armin uttered.

''Flattery will get you no where.''

Armin decided to play it like Lance. ''That explains why I was never good with the ladies.''

''And here I was thinking you coupled enough.'' Daniel spoke sarcastically. ''Since we're talking more than we're fighting, have you waved your flag?''

''The only thing white here is the shirt on my back.'' Armin told Daniel, proceeding to provide a flurry of controlled punches, Daniel managing to possess some form of uncanny agility to evade or block every punch like they were thrown by a sloth or a fat merchant king who took a class in boxing. Eventually, Daniel managed to get close to apply two fingers to his shoulder, a pressure point that caught Armin to wince, where Daniel attemped another punch meant to land on his clavicle. Armin caught the punch and violently throw Daniel over his shoulder before providing a hammlock, turning the Caretaker over on his chest.

''Do you surrender?''

''Would that mean I could finally prepare dinner?''

''...I guess.''

''Then fine!''

Armin released the hammerlock and allowed Daniel to return to his feet, dusting off his dirt covered clothing along with his own. ''Do you understand why Shadis wished to punish you with me this morning?''

''I wasn't getting enough fight training?''

''There's that, and your incident yesterday, but there was also something else...''

Armin began to walk with the Caretaker back to the Manor. ''So?''

''He wanted me to provide you with a lesson in humility. He felt you were becoming too big for your power.''

Armin blinked in confusion before looking back at Daniel. ''Humility, but I never thought I was anything more than, well, me.''

''Are you telling that to me or to yourself? You have been bestowed with an amazing gift and, so far, you have used it well. Keith was afraid that you may start having delusions and wanted me to rip them out of the roots like a decaying flower from your bed.''

''With all due respect to the Commander, what evidence would he have of me having delusions?''

Daniel turned back before opening the door for himself & Armin. ''Your incident yesterday, for one. Despite your orders to never reveal yourself and his empathetic standing to your situation with your love ones, you still went out and caused such havoc. If you were to go out and tell your friends your situation, that would be it, but instead people will ask questions about the reckless Lance de France who had caused the death of a surrendering burglar in Trost last night.''

''What death?'' Armin was horrifed to hear.

''The man in the alleyway died of skull bleeding; a hermit-or-age, I believe the medical personnel called it.'

''But he slammed himself into a wall.''

''Indeed, but they also noticed trauma from the front. Did you punch him by any chance?''

Armin quivered his lips. ''Well...yeah.''

''Exactly. You appear to be saddened over that, so you seem to have your morality savored, but you need to learn to control your strikes better. That is what I shall teach you starting tonight after you return from your patrol, or shall your messenger take care of the night?''

Armin stood there, remaining silent for a moment before answering. ''No, if I go out tonight, I could be a risk for everyone. Teach me how to restrain myself better and then I shall.''

''But what of today?''

''I will bring a few MPs with me and my shield. I will not throw a punch today.''

''And your feet?'' He looked down at his legs.

''I've never had any problem with them.''

''Well 2 out of 4 ain't bad. Now come, we shall prepare stirfry.''

-1 week later-

This was the first morning in many mornings that Armin managed to find himself at peace with himself. The last week of mornings had been dedicated to training, whether it be a reminder of hand-to-hand combat and self-restraint, none of which were Daniel's specific marital art that he created.

''I have to have a few secrets. That's something I'm sure you can relate to.'' Armin couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, he didn't care.

All of his patrols for the last week were very relaxed. The worst thing that happened was a burning cottage in a town not far from Wall Maria, which he managed to resolve without any loss of life. He had saved three different families from being seperated by the hounds of death.

He watched his a small child embrace their mother happily and a father crying as he hugged his neighbour, knowing he could see him again and visit each other for another day. It was a good day. One of the mother's looked at Armin, telling him that he brought hope back into her life, that there was something good out there in a life surronded by circles of hell.

A poem of hers was posted into the Sina Times and it was so moving that Armin cut the article out and left it along with his Sacred Picture to remind of him of what he fighting for.

This day was dedicated to gardenning until his patrol was to begin for the day. He paid more attention to the northen field this time. It wasn't getting as much care as the rest surronded by a sea of daffodils, white lotus', lillies, sunflowers, and roses. He wanted to add a new flower to the mix.

_''Perhaps a Dattura.'' _Dattura Innoxia is a flower found in the desert regions, according to books about Desertland History Armin had in his libary. This flower was very posionous to people but the image of, it's white petals and white herbs within. It seemed like a strange inclusion to the family of flowers he had brought, had it not remind him of someone he hadn't thought about in a while. _''I wonder if you're free.''_

As he watered the seeds, Daniel Cage approached him silently before Armin, not like that it worked. ''I know you're here, Daniel. Is it already time for me to go off?''

''Your enhanced senses were no myth then.''

''Commander Hanji was good to me.'' He smiled upon mentioning her name, silently hoping to himself that the wherever she was, she was at peace.

''Speaking of Commander Hanji, someone from the Survey Corps is at the gate and wishes to see you.''

Armin dropped his water sprinkler, letting it conquer the soaken ground below his leather boots. _''Eren & Mikasa? But he said someone, that means one person. Could Shadis be right?''_

''Do you know who it is, Cage?'' Armin asked, turning towards the Caretaker to which he nodded.

''I would have to live under a rock to not have any knowledge of the great Levi.''

''Why would Levi be here?'' Armin began to ponder.

''I would suggest asking him yourself, Captain Mashiga. What should I tell him?''

Armin slapped himself in the head realizing that his body had changed but his face remained the same. Levi would know who he was immediately. ''Right, tell him that he may knock before my office in five minutes. I will meet with him.''

''Great, I wouldn't want to turn Humanity's Greatest Soldier away from the door.''

Armin & Daniel began to walk towards the door until Armin lept through his office window and placed his helmet upon his head. It was the only way to hide his identity for the time being.

In the meantime, he practiced his voice to sound more like Mashiga: powerful, disciplined, brave, & daring. An amalgram of Shadis & Smith in a way. He performed a few vocal exercises before finding the voice that he used so many days ago when talking to citizens about situations or the voice he used while fending off those kidnappers long before; it demanded authority and commanded respect.

All that was left was to flush out his own thoughts of inadequacy. He didn't have time to meditate, but he did perform a silent vocal exercise that was preceded by the phrase, ''I will...'' A potent psychological tactic meant to boost confidence in one's abilities. By the time a knock on the door appeared, his thoughts weren't cancelled out nor his face brought to surprise, he felt more prepared than he ever was.

''Come in.'' A stern voice emerge from his diaphragm.

The door opened and out emerged Humanity's Greatest Soldier, one of the most revered & respected men in the Survey Corps, and humanity itself, Warrant Officer Levi Ackerman.

He arched his eyebrow at the helmet Captain Mashiga was wearing, not like it mattered to the man before him. He made a quick glance towards Mashiga's book infested bed before saluting before the Captain.

''Morning, Captain...Ma-shi-ga.''

Mashiga saluted back. ''Morning, Warrant Officer, and you are correct in your pronounciation.'' The two lowered their salute before Levi began to speak which Mashiga almost lost track of when he noticed how small Levi was. Before he had been a little taller than him, but now he really was a dwarf in comparison. Armin finally realized how much of a giant he was now.

''May I be blunt with you, sir?''

''Of course.''

''Your bed is filthy.''

Mashiga believed his bed was a little unkempt; books everywhere and the sheets were barely maintained. There was some dust covering the pillow. ''It's a little dirty. I take it you haven't been waltzing around Trost's suburbs?''

Levi shuttered in response. ''Not without a full body suit and a bottle of disinfectant.''

Levi's fetish for all things clean was famous throughout the military - He couldn't settle anywhere without cleaning the entire place head-to-toe. ''Eren's room was much worse than this.'' Armin pondered to himself.

''I'm certain you didn't come all the way here to talk about my bed.'' Mashiga wittingly questioned the WO about his visit.

''You would be right to say.'' Levi broke out of his relaxed stance and started to pace before stopping before the bookcase to his right. He studied the titles of the books he could find if they were on the spine.

''I have a lot of those.'' Mashiga pointed out the obvious. Realizing only late that he stopped drawing on Shadis, and more on Lance. Smith remained syphoned from his calm form of authority.

''I am well aware.'' He pointed at the two shadows on the highest end of the bookcase; the case that specifically belonged to the books of his past life. ''You have two here that's missing.''

His heart was starting to beat faster. ''Indeed so.''

Levi looked on the other bookcase before going towards Mashiga's bed. He started stacking the books into a vertical pile in his hands before walking towards the central bookcase, placing the books one at a time inside the shadows until eventually the bookcase was completely filled up.

''I could've done that myself, Levi.'' Armin had never referred to him as Levi before; only sir. He felt pride in such a little thing.

''I'm sorry, sir, however that was bothering me and it supported my belief that you are missing two books on that shelf.''

_''He obviously knows something. It's not like Levi to dance around the obvious.'' _Mashiga deduced, playing with the unshaven hairs on his chin to make it look like he's thinking hard about what Levi is pursuing. It's a good charade on anyone of a lesser mind. The problem was that he didn't know how well of a detective Levi is.

An intelligent strategist in the heat of battle, he was. Someone who could adapt to the situtation when need be, yes. Someone who could take orders and pursue them with dedication, absolutely. There were still a few confounding and unknown variables that kept Mashiga off. He would need to jump the chariot, as it were. ''You are here about my messenger's action as of last week, correct?''

''Yes, a Lance de France, was it? Please tell me that was a false name.'' As if he were begging.

Mashiga nodded to save face and preserve his intelligence. Names weren't his cup of tea, another thing that had persauded him not to have children anytime soon. ''How did you find out my messenger's name, Levi?''

''I'm sure you are aware of my personal group? One of my men told me.''

Mashiga crossed his arms, leaning towards the wall next to the window. ''How much did he tell you?''

''He told me about your messenger and your involvement in the recovery of someone I thought was dead.''

''Armin Arlert.''

''Yes.'' He took a seat before Mashiga's desk, placing his arms in a relaxed demeanor across from him that somehow echoed one in attention. ''I would've denied it as simple bullshit coming out of his mouth. I would've had I not seen a book in another one of my men's belongings.''

_''It was Jean that told then. Men was a multi-purpose word, but when Levi uses it he's being more specific. Why would he tell?'' _That was a question for another day. ''Yes, I had commanded my messenger to provide Corporal Yeager, whom I assume you are referring to, with the proof of existance, in this case a copy of Camelot. Corporal Arlert appeared to me to be an avid reader and had an assortment of book -''

''Nothing compared to your collection.'' Levi interrupted.

''Indeed, he must've had six...''Mashiga took a quick glance of the top shelf to make a proper estimate of how many books were on there, ''...maybe eight books.''

''It was seven. I searched his belongings myself - any personal items any of my men had had to be registered in before entry for inspection purposes.''

''Of course.'' It was a strange law, but understandable.

''Any other books that was left inside was donated to the Military Library while his clothes were burned in a mock funeral pyre; we had no body for obvious reasons.''

Mashiga quickly noted to make sure he had Thermopylae still on his top shelf. ''I take it this Corporal Yeager isn't well read before?''

''With all due respect to the Corporal, he doesn't have the concentration or the damn patience to read through a haiku, let alone a full length novel - To see him read a fucking book was as shocking to me as seeing one of my men serenade me.'' Levi cringed at the thought of the last part while Mashiga turned his head towards the window to keep from laughing.

''No comment, sir.''

''I'm asteemed that you didn't. It had to mean something or have to something to do with how to kill the Titans, or something to do with Grisha, instead it was a fantasy novel that I remembered Corporal Arlert registered. Corporal Ackerman tried to cover for him by saying he was a closet reader; obvious bullshit, so Corporal Kirschtein told me everything.'' Mashiga smiled about how much has changed, yet everything remained the same.

''Then you seem to know everything, Warrant Officer.''

Levi shook his head. ''Not everything, sir. There is something else that continues to irk me.''

''If it's the chair, I don't usually have guests...''

Levi scowled for a moment before resuming his respectable stance. Levi did believe in the chain of command - he wasn't sure if Captain Mashiga shared the same respect...unless he joked around to keep something hidden; he could relate to that. ''No, it's not that. What I want to know is why you were in those forests to begin with and how come you found him, when my team couldn't?''

The Captain turned back to Levi. ''Come again?''

''Why were you in those forests, first of all, and how come I couldn't find him when my team searched?''

Mashiga never began to think Levi would search for him, let alone the entire group. Armin always seen Levi as a cruel person molded by the horrible situations they were found in, pushing that aura on everyone, then again that was perhaps because he hated him for telling everyone he was dead. ''I was doing my patrols and I happened to find myself in a forest. Bandits tend to hide in there, prey on travellers as you know.''

Levi nodded before he continued. ''I found myself using my 3DM gear across a few trees blindly, trying to find some proof of person, some existance within the forests. The bandits love it when the person is alone.''

''Unless your reputation precedes you.''

''You would know more about that than I would.'' Mashiga never imagined he had a following, but he did find success. Levi knows, criminals know too. ''About a few kilometres in, I started smelling something strange amid the forests. I'm no dog, but I followed the scent the best I could until I came across a dead body near a log. It must've been rotting there for days.'' Mashiga placed his fist near his mouth, pretending to puke. ''I thought little of it besides a quick place of respect until I noticed something that corroded halfway into his throat. There was a make-shift dart made from an angled knife shard and oak, it was difficult to calculate the trajectory due to the corrosion until I saw a small clearing.''

Levi crossed his arms, perhaps that was how he kept comfortable.

''This small clearing led me to a few broken piles of wood; they were burnt to a charred blackness so people were camping there, and it wasn't long. I searched the site for a little while longer to find more bodies, which I did about three more, and to find the source of those darts.''

''I assume those other three were killed the same way?''

''Two of them did, one unlucky guy fell on his sword.''

''Tch! Amateurs!''

''They were Insurgents; half of them are just scared, confused.''

''You could say that about everyone.'' Mashiga knew that very well. Almost everyone he graduated with could few those traits, including himself. ''The trajectories didn't make a pattern; they were either corroded or angled awkwardly. It was only by serendipity that I found a small cave filled with foilage. If it were dead of night, you would never find it, and if you weren't observant, you'll see it as a moss-covered rock.''

''Lucky you on both ends.'' Levi uncrossed his arms, clasping his hands patiently for the rest of the story.

''I kept my shield out and split the foilage, make sure nothing was waiting for me inside. Might of been a boar, might have been an arachnid. It doesn't hurt. I looked inside and found one more body with no darts. Instead she had a dent in her head, likely from physical trauma. Whoever did it must've hit her when the lights went dark. The only light came from a dimming torch in the center of the cave. Whomever was in here, may have went feral so keeping my guard was of the utmost importance.''

Mashiga drink a glass of water that he left on the table. It was a good excuse to come up with a new arch and fast enough to keep Levi distracted in some way.

''The cave's small hole was a deception; the cave was long and wide enough for me to walk in and keep my shield up, for the first acre. It began to slope down, lower and lower, until my head hit the ceiling. I was lucky there were no stalactites, and so was Armin. When I found him, he was weak, almost a skeleton with a dead boar next to him and all of his books. Camelot had a bullet graze, if I recall correctly. He was in no condition to fight anything or anyone. How he stayed alive must've been nothing short of a miracle besides rain water and anything he could find in the cave; bugs, insects, mammals. I'm surprised he didn't resort to cannibalism.''

''I'm not shocked; I never expected him to neither have the nerve or the weakness to do such a horrific thing.''

Mashiga didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, either way he was proud he never had to face that hopelessness. ''He was alive, conscious, but barely. I had some water with me and a piece of bread that I gave him. I kept telling him he'll be okay, and I'll find help for him. I don't know what the final straw was, dragging him through the cave, or flying on my 3DM with him, but he lost consciousness before I returned to the hospice I brought him to.''

''Which would be?''

''Undisclosed until he's save to return to your leadership. I won't let his friends near either.''

''Fair enough, what did you do with the bodies?''

Now that was a question Mashiga dug himself into. ''I gave them a pyre inside the cave. The smell would be contained and the trees wouldn't burn.''

''That sounds saintly of you, despite what they did.''

''People aren't born monsters, but monsters have families and those families would want to know they died respectfully.''

Levi shrugged. ''I won't talk. We all have history, I'm sure you do to learn that.''

''I'm a thinker, all I do is learn.'' Mashiga believed Levi had a grudge against Insurgents because of what they did to Hanji. He could tell from his curved scowl throughout the whole story. The Titans came first, but Insurgents were next, not like their easy to track.

''I'd rather kill a Titan than a human. Titans you can see a mile away, ripping through everything in their path and crushing people like watermelons with a mallet. Humans, they're worse. They could be your best friend, your neighbour, your cousin, your uncle, your surrogate, and they could do worse than a Titan's jaw ever could; they'll make you live with it.''

''I'm glad we're on the same page.''

''There's too few of us anyways and not enough room. We're gonna have to expand soon.''

Human history has shown that all-out wars have been caused by cruel expansion. It's also been ended the same way, and it was inevitable! As of recent, more humans were being born than dying and they would need to expand, build another wall if they had to. It was more & more likely the Survey Corps would turn into a bunch of scouts, and would that be so awful? It made Armin more jealous of them because he's always wanted to see the world, breath in the ocean air and climb larger mountains, see snow.

''Do you know how Hanji died?'' Levi asked Mashiga.

He knew he couldn't tell, and he knew Levi was never told. ''Ambushed by insurgents, I believe.''

''I see, Commander Smith wasn't lying.''

''Is that all, Levi?''

''Just one more thing, and it is a favor.''

''Of course.''

''No one knows about what my group did on those nights when we searched for our fallen comrade and no one ever will, understand, sir?''

''I can keep a secret.'' He smiled.

''Let me know when he can be visited. It's good to know my group is only temporarily undermanned.'' Levi saluted the Captain, whom saluted back before he left the Manor, resuming his activities for the Corps.

-6 Hours Later-

(Survey Corps Base, Jean Kirschtein's room)

Jean & Sasha were in Jean's bedroom, Sasha was sitting down, annoyed by Jean's most recent obsession for the week. No longer was his mind occupied by Mikasa, or about upstaging Eren, instead he only had one on his mind: The Identity of Lance de France.

''Why are you so obsessed with this, Jean-Boy?'' Sasha was one of the few people who could call him that without getting mouthed off.

''It's too likely, that's why! Armin disappears, we can't find him, then all of a sudden this Captain Mashiga tracks him down, and his messenger, who happens to have the same eye colour as Armin, shows up and gives Yeager his book. Doesn't that seem odd to you!?''

''It really is odd.''

''Thank-you''

''No, I'm talking about you.''

''What!? Come on.''

''I didn't get a good look at him, stop trying to convince me. And Armin's eye colour wasn't rare.''

Jean sat next to Sasha on the bed, trying to massage his head. This was no new news to him; Eren, Mikasa, Sasha, and several others have told him the same thing. It continued to linger at him, like it was a brooding feeling from the heavens telling him to continue following this.

''You told Levi, isn't that enough? You sound like you're trying to prove something.''

He sighed. ''You're right, I am. This is all just seems, sudden.''

''Two months isn't sudden.''

''It's sudden for me.''

''You're weird.''

''If I'm weird, what does that make you, Potato Girl?'' A nickname that only two people were allowed to call her. Recently, it came down to Jean.

''Revolutionary.'' She gave off a big grin.

''That's a weird word.''

''Nothing wrong with being weird.'' Sasha grinned, magically grabbing a piece of potato from what seems out of nowhere.

''Unless it's you two brats.''

The two stood up in salute to the Warrant Officer who entered the room.

''If you two are done having your three-way with the potato, I have news to report to Jean.''

Jean was excited to hear what Levi had to report. ''Yes, sir?''

''Lance de France is a pseudonym, he's about as real as your good looks. The Captain said he was a nomad, a messenger.''

''Did you see him, sir?''

''No, he wasn't there.''

''Nothing, no pictures, no drawings.''

''You heard me when I said, ''no,'' correct?'' Jean could sense Levi was more stern in his approach.

''Yes, sir.''

''He did tell me more about Armin's fate and where he is. It matches what you told me with a bit more information on how he found him.''

''And?''

''I can't see any reason to refute his claim,'' he looked at Jean more intensely, ''except for one thing.''

''What's that?'' Sasha rolled her eyes.

''Armin had seven books with him, there were only five on the top shelf.''

''Then there must be one more somewhere...''

''Likely in Captain Mashiga's office. He had countless books everywhere and had Armin's book on his top shelf. He's likely holding on to them until he awakens.''

''Is it also possible that...''

''Be rational, Jean! The Captain is taller than all of us, built like a giant oak, yet as intelligent as the late Hanji on a good day. Yes, Armin is intelligent, but he wouldn't be any of those two in the time given. Get a fucking grip.''

Jean became frustrated, that feeling was grabbing his intuition tighter and tighter. He needed to see the Captain, he wanted to argue with Levi, but he knew better. ''Yes, sir.''

''Oh, and by the way, Captain Mashiga had the same eye colour has Lance.'' Levi sternly taunted him before leaving. ''Don't fuck too hard, I get enough of that noise from Yeager & Ackerman.''

Sasha & Jean stood there in silence for a few minutes, Jean meditated a moment to relax his demeanor, before Sasha finally broke it by biting into her potato. ''He doesn't think we're...''

(;)


	11. Stronger Than Steel

Ch. 11: Stronger Than Steel

(0)

-Present Time-

In my sleepless nights, I had wondered, dreamt about how I was put here. It could'n't've been easy, I'd imagine. My memory was very hazy to how it exactly happened. In truth, it felt like drinking a barrel full of whiskey in one sitting and having to suffer the headaches from the night before.

In other words, I can't remember and it hurts to remember.

Before you say anything funny though, just know that sometime after my meeting with No-Fun Levi (my other little way of keeping 'her' memory alive), I became curious about how far my superhumanity went, and what better test subject than me? I was the only test subject.

I hypthesized that the enzymes in my body, specifically the liver, wouldn't be able to break down the toxins found in alcohol, which is incredibly ignored by everyone in the Survey Corps and I really can't blame them, at a fast enough rate if I drank fast.

One day when there was barely any crime going on in the wall, & I triple-checked to make sure, I doused myself and poured what had to be three barrels of something called Rum down my throat. I'm not alcohol expert, names go over my head.

After dowing three, I would try to walk a straight line, spin twice, and perform a front flip. If I failed to do any of these exercises, I would be proven true.

I concluded by downing seven barrels of rum down my throat and had nothing of an inebreation to show for it. As a matter of fact, all I had was a disgusting after taste trapped in my mouth, a rancid smell that took me four baths to get out, and a snarky comment from Captain Cage.

''What a waste of a fine liquer.''

I performed seven walks, fourteen spins, and seven flips successfully.

My enzymes were too powerful, but my skin? Not so much.

-1 Month & 9 days before the Present-

''What's going on here?''

A scream came out in the middle of a Sina City as if every thought was silenced in the area to pay attention to what was happening. Luckily for everyone in the area, Captain Mashiga was riding on his horse in that same area.

A strong command to the horse forced it to run to the source of the screaming, taking notice about how there were few people in the populated area in the late-morning. He didn't know how to feel when he found a crowd of people surronding one random tavern, and not entering, just staring.

Halting the gallops, he stopped in his tracks to enter the crowd of people and figure out what was going on. The screams continued, becoming more incoherent but translatable to a muffled scream for help. Less & less understandable, her throat was getting sore, at least he figured it was a girl. It sounded like one, or a small child, or a eunuch; poor fello.

''Excuse me!'' The Captain ordered the crowd, who began to split one-by-one-by-two, recognizing the loud stern voice of the Captain. He reared his shield and made his way through the small pond of people before witnessing what the problem was.

The young child, barely into his pre-teens, was on his back, trying to scoot away fom the man, dressed as an MP, holding a large sword with two hands towards the boy. He was slow, barely stepping towards him like he was thinking or wondering what he was doing, why he was doing this.

Perhaps not why, not anymore; not once he saw the look of the attacker, a distorted look of a man confused and angry. His dark hair had grown unkempt and messy, rotten with dirt, sweat pouring from his face from the hot day and the stress from his current situation. His arms were revealed along his torn dress shirt under his MP vest to be well toned and with a strange light-green hue along his veins matching the cornea of the man's eyes. His eyes' iris was a blue colour.

''Fuck off, Titan!'' He screamed at the Captain.

He reared his shield, noticing he only had a sword on him but this sword was no different - it was made not of steel, but a darker metal he had never seen before. It didn't seem to be commissioned to the army so how he got this was a new mystery in itself. That was for a later time.

''I will protect humanity from your kind!'' He reared his sword to impale the Captain, charging at him in an unrestrained frenzy. He stabbed Mashiga's shield, sliding the sword off before going for another slash. Mashiga instinctively striked his sword horizontailly. That much force has broken swords before, for this one did crack, but not break. It was stronger.

The man continued his frenzy, slashing without rhyme or reason, thought or understanding. To him, Captain Mashiga was another Titan; a small one at that considering he wasn't anywhere close to 3 meters tall. Something was going on in his head.

Mashiga needed to subdue him and quick, ignoring a strange sensation that filtered his body to what he precieved as either worry or adrenaline.

He managed to smash his head off of the shield, causing him to drop his strangly metallurgic sword and his guard. He heard gasps from the public surronding him, children's eyes were being blocked by worrisome mothers and men watched at something that appeared to be off.

_''They must think I killed him.'' _Mashiga thought, gulping slightly, taking off one of the blockers and checking for a pulse on the man's neck. An unconcious bodies' pulse will be much quieter than a concious man's, but it would take some time.

A few seconds felt like eons in Mashiga's mind. He trained nearly every day in maintaining his strength range to make sure something like this wouldn't happen.

A sigh of relief was uttered, his shoulders de-tensed as he announced to the denizens around the area that, ''He was alive!'' And yet, there was no smiles or leaps of joy coming from the public for they were not worried about a psychopath with a sword, or another soldier with PTSD, but a strange thing about the hero that stood before them.

It didn't come to Mashiga's knowledge until a man pointed his finger at his arm. Mashiga looked at where the man pointed and touched it a little bit for a ripped sleeve not covered by the armor was cut and a red substance was evident where it could have only come from source: Armin's bloodstream.

_''That's impossible, how...how?''_ Mashiga was confused in the highest order. He could break a sword with one hand and little bit of effort, and now he looked at the strange sword whose properties were a mystery to him had further intrigued him to know that it could cut him.

A quick pat of his hand at where the wound was proved futile; the wound had already healed. He needed to go to the mellurgist's at the Garrison to find out what it was made of, but not before cuffing the attacker and making sure the area was secure before anything else.

-Present Time-

Titanium...it was a new metal found in limited sources near the breeding grounds and certain mineral areas near. It was relatively new around that time and was only in the experimental stage for the most part.

The metallurgists knew nothing about the sword, not that it didn't amaze them that it could be made. It was never commissioned to the army and I couldn't ask the attacker who used it.

He was sentenced to death by hanging for betraying humanity not long after I had arrested him. There was no trail, the judge seen no need for one.

I had wished I could've intervened at that trail and brought to everyone's attention about his eyes and the strange situation his physiology was in. There was something wrong, something in his system that made him act the way he did, and there was only one place I could go.

Thankfully enough, it was the same place the metallurgist's pointed me to where the Titanium was being studied...

...The Science Division in the Survey Corps' Castle.

(.0)


	12. A Slight Detour

Chapter 12: A Slight Detour

-29 days before the Present-

Acquiring permission to enter any military base is a largely difficult process: It involves having to enlist and join that branch besides an extreme circumstance that could wave that process aside, so it wasn't often that a Garrison soldier would talk to an MP unless there was a joint operation or an investagation.

The Survey Corps, if one could possibly imagine, was far more paranoid than any other military branch, & who could blame them? Years of trying to gain a standing base, more years having to enlist people who were crazy enough to fight outside against the Titans, and more to be seen as a majority investment to humanity's standards.

So it was quite a shock when a few Survey Corps soldiers saw a large man claded in armor with a large shield known to be mostly associated with the MPs, albeit his own solo branch, walk through the base with a sure path as if he knew the place like the back of his hand.

It had taken Captain Mashiga a little over three days to gain Commander Smith's attention for a request and twice as long to get permission to walk through the base with the purpose of finding out where that Titanium sword came from.

(/)

''It's not that the idea of such a blade went under my nose intrigues me, but that you want to take care of it personally. You know very well the Survey Corps can handle its own problems. If the Science Division had done this, it wouldn't be far away from us, so why do you want to take care of this personally, Captain?''

Mashiga remembered slamming the Newspaper on the table, nearly breaking one of the legs on it. ''Because this sword can make me bleed. Someone has been manufacturing a strong metal and it somehow came into the hands of an ex-officer. This has become my problem and the Royal Committee's as well.''

''You know very well some Garrison soldiers still hold a grudge against the Survey Corps, and the metallurgists are strongly tied with them.''

''As the Science Division is to the Survey Corps.''

''Fine, I'll allow you access tomorrow to do your search but only tomorrow.''

-(/)

It didn't need to be said about how important it was that he maintain his composure and his identity secret. Few members of the Survey Corps meant anything to Armin and he knew he needed to stay away from them for the time being, something he overheard Erwin orchestrating; knowing well that he was headed to the Science Division located in the castle.

He caught a small glimpse of the scedule near the barracks of Levi's squad, noting that every member was either out scouting or preparing for a future mission away from the path he needed to follow.

Except only one name was present that remained vacant of any job: Connie Springer.

''I hadn't visited him in a while, & the hopice is the last building before the dirt road. I don't think it would be too much trouble pay him a visit.'' Mashiga thought to himself while looking at the dirt shuffle on his beige boots. He hadn't seen Connie since he left and he didn't know if Levi or the rest of his squad decided to let him know. It wouldn't be fair to him to not tell.

To keep up his charade, he asked a wandering group of soldiers to where the hospice was who pointed him in the exact direction he already knew. A quick bow from here came a thundering salute back from them.

Mashiga placed a sudden amount of weight on his heel, taken back by the random amount of respect given to him by some of the most unlikely people.

''I knew people from all over the Walls knew of me, but I didn't think...'' A smile sneaked on his face; an offspring of pride that pushed his confidence up to continue his way to the hospice.

A short walk it was, but it felt like forever to him. The memories began to swarm all around his mind; most of them had its sad moments and stressful ones, but they were present outside the walls or inside the forests, swarmed with human blood spilt by man & Titan unlike.

Nay, when there were days the Corps could relax or had a break from chores, they had their fun, you needed it to somehow hide from the reality of the situtation and all of the Squad had their ways: Mikasa had her sword training, Eren had his overall training, Jean had card games, Sasha had cooking, Connie had books not-so-different from the ones Armin found during basic training, and, of course, Armin had his books of science & fantasy.

He passed by a random tent well known for a year as the ''Connie's House of Fun'' after what he, Sasha, & Jean, as rumor had it, decided to liven up the mood after Levi forced everyone to do chores for two weeks for someone singing to him in the middle of the night. Armin remembered how Hanji brought a random orange substance to Connie while Armin was visiting him & Jean, and kept a finger to her lips before bouncing away.

Armin firmly believed he was the only person who remembered everything from the night before, & was the only one who got away from being punished for the incident. He still couldn't believe what Mikasa tried to do to get Eren's 'attention.'

''They're together now, still never thought she had such balance.''

He opened the hospice door and began to search each room slightly for Connie's. They may have changed the room he was in, or better yet, the Science Division may have started their project on him now. He recalled that the next project Hanji planned on working on involved repairing Connie's legs.

A reserved optimism filled Mashiga's heart, not even thinking about the possibility that it was too late for him, that he had no plan on living any longer, waiting.

''Excuse me, Captain Mashiga.'' A nurse asked the Captain.

''Yes, Ma'am?''

''Are you looking for someone specific?''

It had become easier to be Captain Mashiga at this point. He only had time to be Armin when he was in the manor, but for him he began to think that Armin was becoming Mashiga, and his chances of going back to be with his friends were dwindling more-and-more. He had said he was content with them knowing he was still alive somewhere, but a part of him longed to make new good memories with them, especially now that the Titans were becoming much less of a threat.

''No, I wished to visit each denizen to make sure they were in good hands. It appears they are so, well done, Ma'am.'' He gave a reassuring smile to the nurse who grew slightly red in the face to his comment.

''Thank-you, sir. I'll leave you now.''

Mashiga continued searching through the windows until crossing towards the large window that showed a hagird man who was awake, but with a vacant stare. His hair had grew like vines cradling around his shoulders, further unkempt in an oily sheek. A beard had odorned his formally clean shaven faced. It seem unnatural for him to have any thing besides his shaven head and cocky smile.

Mashiga shook his head slightly. This wasn't his friend, but perhaps knowing one more life was saved could make him feel better, perhaps his surgery was coming. There had to be something, Mashiga wanted something to happen.

He opened the door and uttered before entering, ''Corporal Springer?''

He remained silent, unmoved.

''May I come in?''

Still, nothing. He couldn't be dead, his eyes were opened and he was breathing calmly.

Mashiga entered slowly, moving towards the vegatable by choice. His eyes closed at the look of the lower part of his body covered by a thin sheet, still mangled up, crudely straightened by what appeared to be a brace meant to be for rehabilitation. _''Did they try to make him walk again?''_

''My name is Captain Mashiga, no honorifics are needed here.''

He moved head up slightly.

''I have some news for you, two pieces actually.''

His eyebrow arched.

''First & foremost, your squadmate, Armin Arlert, is alive but currently comatose under my care. He will be released once he's in better shape to fight.''

''What else?'' He said crudely.

Mashiga felt somewhat offended that the news of his survival wasn't addressed with joy, not that he couldn't blame the damaged man. ''I shouldn't say this, but the Science Divison are planning a procedure for you to walk again. It will happen soon so...''

''Another one?'' Connie interrupted, confusing the Captain.

''You've had one?''

''See those bulges around my legs? That was their 'attempt' at fixing me,'' he continued with his sarcastic sardonic rant, ''and if they did do their fucking job like a good little lab rat, what then? Levi brings me back to his Squad, I'm just a third tier banana, & that asshole, Jean, is still commanding small troops whenever Mr. Rivaille, or whatever his name is, as something better to do like get stuck in a box.

Oh, they'll stop the world if he does, but me? All I had that made me good, worth having was I was fast on my feet, when I had feet! I have nothing, but I had Sasha, had! That naive bit-''

''Don't continue that sentence, soldier! You don't mean it and you know it.'' Mashiga commanded the broken man who continued with no fear in his eyes.

''Why does it matter to you? She's a bitch! Bitch, bitch, bitch! But not like Jean, that wanna-be hero. At least Eren & Mikasa had something going for them; they could be called that if Jean couldn't stop playing 'comparison' and Eren stopped being a whinny ass for a moment,'' he began mocking Eren's voice, ''Oh, my Momma got eaten by a Titan and my Sister loves me, and shit! Hey, I can turn into a Titan! I guess I'm useful now!''

Armin didn't realize how much anger Connie held in, it must've been all the time he was in this room sulking and his thoughts becoming poisonous to all the people he once liked, cared about. ''And Mikasa, HA! I'm sure she blew a few people to get ''top soldier'' and all that crap. You really think Eren was her first? Fuck that! But Armin, at least he was nice whenever had the chance.''

''Why are you telling me this, Corporal?''

''Because you think you can walk in here and play humanitarian for me! Have you ever been useless, and I mean really useless?!''

He laid his head on his pillow. Captain Mashiga ignored the amount of nurses that cradled around the room from the screaming and yelling Connie was delievering.

''I overhear all these stories about this soldier who can run faster than a horse and lift a boulder with his one hand, you know some people think you could take out a Titan by yourself, so yeah you're perfect, but the rest of us; me, we're fucked.''

_''People think I'm perfect?'' _''You have no idea.''

''Whatever, all I know is you're there, and I'm stuck here barely above a worm. I'll be lucky if I could work the field in about, how long now? Right, two months.''

Mashiga nodded. ''I'm sorry, I'm sure the Science Division are preparing something.''

''Thanks for the sympathy, but I don't need your pity.''

Mashiga left quietly, ignoring the whispers from the nurses about the situation around them, he continued to ponder to himself as he decided to run the rest of the way through the dirt road:

_''To think what kind of hell Connie had been living in for months, just lying there in bed, thinking and hating about everyone. This wasn't him and he needed serious help, psychological and physiological. A few braces, Hanji would never cut corners like that. She must've had something better, more complex planned for him. Surely another thing I must ask the head of the Science Division, whomever that is.''_


End file.
